Self-Management

Transcription

Self-Management - Visions Journal #18

No. 18, Summer 2003
BC’s
Mental
Health
Journal
artist: Annie Wilkinson
Self-Management
2
editor’s message
I
BC’s
Mental
Health
Journal
is a quarterly publication produced by the Canadian Mental
Health Association, BC Division. It is
based on and reflects the guiding philosophy of the CMHA: the “Framework for
Support.” This philosophy holds that a mental health consumer (someone who has used
mental health services) is at the centre of any supportive mental health system. It also advocates and
values the involvement and perspectives of friends,
family, service providers and community members.
In this journal, we hope to create a place where the
many perspectives on mental health issues can be
heard. To that end, we invite readers’ comments
and concerns regarding the articles and opinions
expressed in this journal. Please send your letter
with your contact information to:
Mail:
Visions Editor, CMHA BC Division
1200-1111 Melville Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 3V6
Tel:
1-800-555-8222 or (604) 688-3234
Fax:
(604) 688-3236
Email: office@cmha-bc.org
The opinions expressed in this journal are those of the writers
and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Canadian
Mental Health Association, BC Division or its branch offices.
Editorial Board
Nan Dickie, Dr. Rajpal Singh,
Dr. Raymond Lam, Victoria Schuckel
llness management, self-care, or just self-management: all of these are terms that describe
essentially the same thing. But just what is it? As you read through this issue of Visions, some of
you may feel that the material sounds familiar, and that we’re not talking about anything particularly new. Others may believe that for health conditions as daunting as mental illnesses can be,
that a person can’t really manage or control their illness in any significant way. Still others may
worry that what self-management implies might be an excuse for governments to reduce funding
(after all, if people are self-reliant, then they don’t really need services — or so we may worry).
Self-management is a term that comes from other health conditions which, like mental illness,
may be recurring and perhaps life-long conditions (e.g., diabetes, arthritis, asthma etc.). But the
concepts of self-management are embedded in many areas of mental health care, under different
names. Whether you’re involved in the self-help movement, in psychosocial rehabilitation or with
the field of cognitive-behavioural therapy, all of you will recognize the underlying concepts and
approaches that we’ll talk about in this edition of Visions. The value of the self-management
concept, then, is not necessarily that it’s new, but that it provides a unifying framework for a
number of complementary ideas and a framework for harnessing them in the same direction.
What is the purpose, then? As the articles and the guest editorial by Dr. Dan Bilsker suggest,
self-management means, first of all, having a basic level of knowledge or literacy about mental
health and illness, and a degree of know-how when it comes to accessing help when a mental
health problem presents itself in one’s midst. Next, it involves some more advanced knowledge
about the particular health condition in question, the kind of knowledge that can facilitate being
able to work in partnership with a health professional to find an approach that works.
Knowledge is also a building block for the skills necessary for managing symptoms outside the
mental health professional’s office. The kind of skills we’re talking about here include the ability
to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to manage stressful situations, in order to decrease the chances
of a repeat episode. While prevention is the ideal, the skills we’re talking about include the ability
to recognize early warning signs of relapse, and to develop a plan of action for addressing these if
they do appear. As pointed out in more than one article, knowledge leads to skills, but actual selfmanagement abilities depend on confidence and hope that these are actually possible and the
belief that they can make a difference.
We believe that self-management is possible; and that it doesn’t mean that a person with
mental illness has to go it alone, but instead is a way for the individual to get more out of the
services they use. Overall, we see self-management as a powerful framework for a number of
complementary approaches that ultimately lead to the same goal: that people with mental illness
can control their illness and live the kind of lives they want. We hope you agree.
Eric Macnaughton
corrections from last issue
Production Editor / Design / Advertising
Sarah Hamid-Balma
Visions apologizes for the following oversights and inaccuracies:
n Re: the article “Psychiatric Disabilities Program” by Kathy Smith, on p. 21. We wish to add
context to a quote from the noted article, which included the phrase: “people have difficulty
maintaining academic standards due to their situation.” Enid Weiner wishes to stress that with
creative accommodations, students with mental illness do succeed academically.
n Re: the article “Supported Education” by Jill Newman. The sentence: “Supported education
involves the integration of people with severe mental health disabilities into post-secondary
education and the provision of the supports that these individuals require in order to be
successful in an education environment” should have been attributed in a footnote as a direct
quote from an article by Dr. Karen Unger. The author’s name was also misprinted.
Editorial Support
Cynthia Row
subscriptions and back orders
Executive Director
Bev Gutray
Editor
Eric Macnaughton
Printing
Advantage Graphix
Visions subscriptions are $25 for four issues. Back issues are available to read on our website at
www.cmha-bc.org. Or call us to order hard copies at $7 apiece. Back issue themes include:
n
n
CMHA is grateful to the Ministry of Health
Services for providing financial support
for the production of Visions.
Visions: BC’s Mental Health Journal
n
n
n
n
Supported Education
Eating Disorders/Disordered Eating
Seniors’ Mental Health
Anxiety Disorders in Children/Youth
Employment
Spirituality and Recovery
n
n
n
n
n
n
Mood Disorders
Housing
Cross Cultural Mental Health
Sexuality, Intimacy & Relationships
Poverty, Income & Unemployment
Mental Health Accountability
Self-Management
n
n
n
n
n
Community Inclusion
What is Mental Health?
Women’s Mental Health
Rehabilitation and Recovery
Early Intervention
No. 18/Summer 2003
table of contents
background
regional programs and resources
2
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32 Building Mental Health Literacy: The Mental
Illness First Aid Course Jonathan Oldman
33 ‘Don’t Trust Anyone Over 30’: Youth Net
Facilitates Mental Health Literacy by Youth
for Youth Amanda Walker
34 Visioning Recovery in a Day Program: Schizophrenia Rehabilitation Day Program Otto Lim
35 Early Psychosis Intervention: Group Therapy
Marie Nightingale
36 Survey of Chronic Disease Management in BC:
Focus on Self-Management of Mental Illness
within Primary Care Mykle Ludvigsen
38 BC Clinical Guidelines for the Diagnosis and
Management of Depression Raymond W. Lam
39 Chronic Disease Self-Management: Program
Effective Over the Long Haul Kathy Smith
40 Turning Over a New LEAF: A Self-Management
Program for Adults with Panic Disorder
Sarah Newth
43 LEAF Participant Profile Mykle Ludvigsen
44 Getting from Where We Are to Where We
Want To Be Debbie Sesula
45 My BRIDGES Diary Tracy May
47 RESOURCES
Editor’s Message Eric Macnaughton
Self-Management in the Mental Health Field
(guest editorial) Dan Bilsker
7 How Families Can Help in Self-Management
of a Mental Disorder Nicole Chovil
8 Health Literacy and Management of Chronic
Health Conditions Irving Rootman
9 Self-Efficacy and the Chronic Disease SelfManagement Program Patrick McGowan
11 Mind vs. Matter: Perception and Recovery
Coralie McCormick
12 Self-Management and Addictions Lisa Dive
13 Caring for Self and Others: Consumer Board
and Committee Participation
Deborah MacNamara
experiences and perspectives
14 The Challenge to Manage Nan Dickie
15 Limitations and Complexities of my SelfManagement Sarah Hamid-Balma
17 My Brother’s Nightmare: Coming to Terms
with and Learning to Manage
Hallucinations M.C. Wong
18 Self-Management of Psychosis and
Schizophrenia Dana
19 Valuable Advice Jim Gifford
20 On the Morning Tides: Hope in SelfManagement of Mental Illness Scott Whyte
21 Self-Control and Bipolar Mood Disorder Erika
22 My Path to Wellness: From Psychotic
Depression to Recovery Debbie Sesula
3
letter to the editor
I was very interested in reading your Visions journal this spring in regards to supported
education. This issue has been of great concern to many of us in the Fraser Health Authority
over the last few years. In an attempt to meet this identified need, our clubhouse, Friendship House, in collaboration with New Westminster School District No. 40 and Douglas
College applied to the National Literacy Secretariat and HRDC and was granted an award
alternatives and approaches
to develop and supply a program to assist mental health clients to access existing educational
24 Tips for Self-Management of Eating Disorder services. To accomplish this, we established an advisory committee and delivered two twohour literacy sessions weekly at Friendship House during the school year. Individualized
Symptoms Tannis Hugill
and small group instruction was provided in Math, English, Science, Social Studies, and
25 Practical Mindfulness: Tending the Mind and
Learning and Life Skills. A teacher from the Columbia Square Adult Learning Centre in
Spirit to Mend the Mood Victoria Maxwell
New Westminster provided the services in-house from November 2000 to June 2001. Of
26 Bipolar Self-Management Program Review
the 21 clients enrolled, many attended on a regular basis and benefited positively from the
experience. The project also had a positive impact on the attitude of many of the teachers at
Dana
27 Hearing Voices that are not Real Cynthia Row the Learning Centre as they became aware of the challenges faced by mental health clients
as students. Unfortunately, further funding was not available to continue this worthwhile
28 Checking Things Out Punkaj Bhushan
endeavour and it is our hope that this emphasis can be renewed in the future.
29 Evidence-Based Treatments for Alcohol ProbJill Bloom, RN
Director of Counseling and Mental Health Services
lems: Brief Interventions Julian M. Somers
Fraserside Community Services Society
30 Stepped Care: Moving Beyond the Vision to
New Westminster, BC
the Evidence John F. Anderson
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
4
GUEST EDITORIAL
Self-Management in the
Mental Health Field
Dan Bilsker, PhD
S
elf-management refers
to an active engagement
of the health care consumer in dealing with his or her
disorder, meaning that the person with the disorder is an active participant in care, rather
than someone who simply follows recommendations and
complies with the treatment
plan developed by a health
professional. According to an
Dan is a psychologist who organization that promotes care
works in the Psychiatric for chronic disorders, self-manAssessment Unit at agement is defined as follows:
Vancouver Hospital and also
serves as a consultant with
the Mental Health Evaluation
and Community
Consultation Unit, a mental
health services research
group at UBC. His
publications have been in
the areas of evidence-based
mental health practice and
emergency psychiatry. He is
the co-author of the SelfCare Depression Program
Patients must take better care
of themselves to keep their
chronic illnesses under control,
and need to be trained in proven methods of minimizing
complications, symptoms and
disability…But effective selfmanagement means more than
telling patients what to do. It
means giving patients a central
role in determining their care,
one that fosters a sense of responsibility for their own health.
Using a collaborative approach,
providers and patients work
together to define problems, set
priorities, establish goals, create
treatment plans and solve problems along the way.
In order for self-management
of a disorder to be possible, the
person needs access to appropriate information so that he
or she can be sufficiently wellinformed to participate actively in managing the disorder.
This emphasis on access to
health information contrasts
with the older model in which
the person relies entirely upon
the health professional’s understanding of the disorder. The
health care consumer, including those with mental illness,
needs to learn not only the ben-
efits associated with a particular
treatment, but also information
about potential costs including
financial cost and the effort and
skills that may be required in
order to achieve those benefits.
Financial Costs
Costs include any financial
outlay associated with this
treatment, as well as the relative expense of this treatment
compared to others of equivalent effectiveness. Although a
significant proportion of mental health clients have the cost
of medications covered by government plans, it remains true
that a substantial number of
individuals receiving treatment
from the mental health system,
especially those receiving treatment for depressive or anxiety
disorders, must themselves
cover all or most of their medication costs. Furthermore, most
of the cost of psychotherapeutic treatments such as cognitivebehavioural therapy are
covered by individuals receiving the treatment. Therefore, a
frank discussion of relative costs
of therapeutically-equivalent
treatment alternatives is necessary for patients to be able to
actively participate in management of their disorder. Rational decision-making relies on
balancing the costs and benefits of a course of action.
patient must often learn how
to self-administer tests of blood
glucose levels. But a similar
reasoning applies to mental
dis-orders. There are skills and
practices that have been shown
in research to significantly enhance management of various
psychological and psychiatric
disorders such as relapse prevention in bipolar disorder,
structured problem-solving in
major depression, and relaxation training in generalized
anxiety disorder.
In order for a person to be a
truly active participant in the
disease management process,
he or she must also be informed
about the rationale for a given
option, which entails a clear
explanation as to why this particular treatment — or, these
treatment alternatives — is likely to be effective. Providing the
person with a plausible explanation, even one that acknowledges gaps in our evidencebased knowledge, allows the
individual to be an active participant in decision-making and
gives a message of respect for
this individual’s capacity to
make important decisions about
his or her own health. The role
of the health professional in this
regard is to give the person reasons to actively participate in
treatment, rather than merely
to elicit passive compliance with
a treatment regimen.
Skills or Practices Needed
to Self-Manage Disorder Self-Management
Effective self-management is
not merely a matter of taking
in clinical facts, but of acquiring particular behaviours required to manage an illness.
One can readily see this for an
illness like diabetes, where the
Strategies
Self-management strategies
are well developed for some
mental health problems: the
pro-fusion of self-help books
for depression and anxiety reflects the number of research
Self-Management
trials showing that self-management strategies can be very helpful for these disorders. In the
area of alcohol addiction, research has shown the utility of
self-management approaches
for those with milder forms of
alcoholism. For disorders such
as schizophrenia and bipolar
disorder, the development of
self-management techniques
are less developed, but there is
an emerging recognition that
individuals suffering from these
severe disorders have an important role to play in management
of the disorder. In particular, a
promising approach is to work
with affected individuals to
identify strategies for recognizing the onset of relapse at an
early stage and implement a
plan to avert the episode or
minimize its severity and impact. For example, a person suffering from bipolar disorder
who realizes from warning signs
that a manic episode is beginning can mobilize clinical or
social support and substantially reduce the negative impact
of this episode on his or her life.
Self-management is a crucial component of an approach
to health care known as chronic
disease management. This approach has become very influential over the past decade. It
was initially developed to improve the care of chronic disorders such as diabetes, arthritis
or asthma, disorders for which
the traditional ‘cure model’ was
inadequate. These are disorders
where it is not simply a matter
of making a diagnosis, applying the appropriate treatment,
curing the illness and finally
sending the patient on her way;
instead, these chronic disorders
No. 18/Summer 2003
guest editorial
involve recurrent episodes of
illness, often with residual
symptoms between acute episodes. Chronic disorders require
an ongoing management plan
that includes a coordinated response by health professionals,
the patient and their family.
Only in the last few years
has the chronic disease management (CDM) model been applied systematically to mental
disorders. The first mental
disorder to be approached in
CDM terms has been major
depression, but it can only be a
matter of time before the CDM
model is applied to anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder and
schizophrenia. A number of
mental disorders show the characteristics typical of chronic illnesses: recurrent episodes,
residual symptoms, management rather than cure, and the
need for active self-management by consumers and family
members. Perhaps the CDM
model will eventually become
the dominant framework for
mental health intervention.
But mental health problems raise a particular question
from a CDM/self-management
perspective: are individuals
with psychiatric disorders able to
participate meaningfully and
effectively in self-management
practices? Can they integrate the
often-complex information
that is available about mental
disorders, make coherent and
rational decisions regarding
treatment options and acquire
the self-care skills needed to
manage the disorder? In particular, concern has been raised
that individuals with psychological or psychiatric disorders
might refuse effective treatments when these treatments
would benefit them because of
the impact the mental disorder
has on their cognitive and emotional function. Concerns of
this type have motivated an
increase in the availability of
involuntary treatment mecha-
nisms such as compulsory community treatment (where an
individual suffering from a
mental disorder is required to
comply with specific treatments
in the community). One can
argue that recourse to compulsory community treatment lies
at the other end of a care continuum from self-management
initiatives.
My view is that we must
first acknowledge that individuals in the throes of an acute
mental health crisis such as
severe depression or paranoid
psychosis may be incapable at
that time of grasping relevant
information or balancing the
costs and benefits of treatment
options; furthermore, certain
individuals experience a degree
of ongoing psychiatric/psychological disturbance that substantially impairs their capacity
to actively participate in management of the disorder. However, one must not go too far in
doubting the capacity of individuals with mental disorders
to engage in self-management.
Most people with mental illness, most of the time, are quite
able to comprehend clearlyexplained information, apply
this information to making
rational decisions and acquire
skills needed to manage their
disorders. Individuals with
mental disorders have considerable and largely-untapped
capacity to engage in self-management practices, to function
as an integral part of the disease
management process.
In order to show what selfmanagement looks like in
practice, let me describe a selfmanagement tool for depression
that has been in development
for the past two years. The SelfCare Depression Program is a selfhelp manual for depressed
individuals written by two psychologists (Dr. Randy Paterson
and me), as a way of providing
depressed individuals with
knowledge of depression and
5
strategies to gain better control
of depressive symptoms. It was
Individuals with mental
developed as a project of the
disorders have considerable
Mental Health Evaluation and
Community Consultation
and largely-untapped
Unit at the University of Britcapacity to engage in selfish Columbia. The self-management strategies explained in
management practices, to
this manual can be used as a
function as an integral
sole approach by individuals
with mild to moderate deprespart of the disease
sive symptoms or used in commanagement process.
bination with evidence-based
depression treatments, such as
antidepressant medication or
cognitive-behavioural therapy,
for more seriously depressed
persons. The Self-Care Depstructuring, through which
ression Program was designed
one learns to identify these
to be concise, clearly written,
distorted beliefs, challenge
evidence-based, and fairly
them systematically and
straightforward to apply in a
replace them with more fair
step-by-step manner.
and realistic beliefs.
Besides clearly explaining
the biopsychosocial model of
depression, the Self-Care Pro- We did not want any depressed
gram provides instruction in person to lack access to this selfmanagement tool because of
applying the skills of:
cost barriers, so we made the
n
Activity Scheduling
Depressed individuals typi- manual available free-of-charge
cally reduce their levels of ac- and accessible via PDF at
tivity in the areas of self-care, www.mheccu.ubc.ca/publications.
social involvement, person- Furthermore, we encourage any
al projects and fitness. This individual or health professional
can be changed by learning to copy this manual and disto set action goals that are tribute it as widely as possible.
I predict that someday all
feasible, specific and graduindividuals with psychological
ally increased.
or psychiatric disorders will be
n
Problem-Solving
Depressed individuals often offered self-management trainhave difficulty with effective ing delivered through manuals
problem-solving, tending to or workshops. When individuoverestimate barriers, under- als who have suffered from
estimate personal resources, mental disorders and their famand to plan action in an un- ilies discover the potential bensystematic way. This can be efits of active participation in
changed by learning to ap- care, they may come to expect
ply a structured problem- self-management support from
the mental health system. This
solving strategy.
n
Cognitive Restructuring kind of expectation from conDepressed individuals usu- sumers of mental health serally think about themselves, vices, combined with gradual
their current situation and implementation of a chronic
their future prospects in disease management model,
an unrealistically negative may well revolutionize the deand unfair manner. This livery of mental health care in
can be changed by a meth- this province.
od known as cognitive re-
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
6
Important Notice to Visions’ Readers
Dear readers and supporters,
I would like to thank you for your support of Visions: BC’s Mental Health Journal, and to let you know
about some changes that we hope will make our publication even stronger than it has become over
the past few years. It was back in 1997 that we started the journal as a small, four-page insert to our
newsletter. With the completion of this one, we will have completed 18 issues, with an average length
of 40 pages per edition. The support we have received over this time, both from our ever-expanding
readership and from our contributors, has been truly amazing, and I would like to thank all the people
that have helped us to keep going: subscribers, sponsors, writers, and our Editorial Board.
The journal has been a very key part of the Canadian Mental Health Association throughout BC, and
we appreciate the support of the Ministry of Health Services over the last several years as the main
funder of the publication. We look forward to continued support from our main funder and all of those
who have kept us going in the past, as we evolve into a new format as of the next issue.
As you may recall from our the insert in the last issue of Visions (#17), we have formed a partnership
with other provincially-funded mental health and addictions agencies to provide “accurate, standard,
and timely information on mental health, mental disorders, and substance use disorders” and to
provide information on “evidence-based services, supports and self-management” in a BC context.
In keeping with this mandate, and with our new partnership, the journal will be renamed Visions:
BC’s Mental Health and Addictions Journal and will be produced under the banner and logo of BC
Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information.
This reflects both a change and a continuation of the previous mandate of Visions. Our audience
continues to comprise a wide sector of people with mental illness, their significant others, and mental
health professionals from various disciplines.
Some of the new words you’ll notice in our mandate, such as evidence-based and self-management, are principles that have always been reflected in our journal. Upcoming issues will reflect a
continued and stronger commitment to these concepts as well as a stronger focus on an important
issue that so often goes along with mental illness: substance use problems.
In addition, Visions will keep you updated as to new initiatives undertaken by the partnership (as
we have done on page 41 of this issue). Please feel free to contact us with any feedback you may have
on future initiatives and with ideas for topics to be covered under the new journal. With the changes,
the journal becomes the first publication of its kind in Canada with such a broad mandate and partnership, and we are pleased to be part of it. Most importantly, we hope you will continue to be part of
it, and that you will continue to read Visions and pass it on to colleagues and friends.
The journal will continue to be available on our website (www.cmha-bc.org) and single issues will
also be free of charge to any individual — within our mandate’s target audiences — who wishes to
receive a hard copy. Subscribers will be receiving a letter with their next issue as well as a commitment to reimburse the remainder of their subscription, should they now qualify for a complimentary
subscription under this new mandate.
Once again, thank you for your support over the past years. I am confident that you will find the new
Visions even more comprehensive and helpful as we move forward in this new partnership.
Sincerely,
Bev Gutray
Executive Director
Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
BACKGROUND
7
How Families Can Help in
Self-Management of
a Mental Disorder
F
Chanta
v
l Lefeb
re
1
artist:
amilies of people with serious mental disorders can be
an invaluable source of support in management of
mental disorders. Many people with serious mental
illness either live with their families (including parents,
spouses, siblings and children) or have regular ongoing contact
with their family.1,2
Family members are often the first to recognize behavioural
changes that accompany a mental disorder and can aid a person
in getting connected with mental health services. Families of
individuals diagnosed with a mental illness also often serve as
informal case managers, providing and coordinating care for
their relatives. Family members often see the signs of relapse and
can encourage their relative to seek help early.
In order to effectively self-manage a mental disorder, consumers may need training in skills to deal with their illness,
including taking medications as prescribed, dealing with community and hospital services, learning new ways to cope with
symptoms such as auditory hallucinations, anxiety, etc. Skill
learning may also be needed in relation to maintaining a healthy
lifestyle, including good eating habits, exercise, maintaining an
apartment, work, and social life. Other skills that may need to
be developed include the ability to deal with emotions and the
impact of the illness on their lives. Families can assist by learning
what is involved in self-management as well as by learning what
they can do to help the person.
The following areas have been identified as ways in which
families can assist in management of mental disorders:
person in a treatment plan
2 Engaging
learning how to communicate with a person in ways that
n
will encourage them to seek help
alternative steps families can take (legal procedures under
the BC Mental Health Act) when a person does not agree
to seek help
warning signs or symptoms of relapse
3 Identifying
learning how to give feedback to their relative about sympn
n
toms/signs that indicate a possible relapse
identifying and minimizing situations that may place too
much stress on the person and increase chances of relapse
medication
4 Managing
helping their relative to develop a medication routine
n
n
Learning about mental illness and services available. Families and their ill relative can benefit from education that
helps them to understand the often-confusing nature of
mental illness. Education should include learning about:
n behaviours/symptoms that create problems for the individual (and which may be frightening and bizarre to
other family members)
n why a person may not see that there is anything wrong
with them
n why the person may refuse to seek help (e.g., go to a
doctor or mental health centre)
n self-management skills that a person can use to manage
their illness
n why certain medications are used and their side-effects
n an understanding of the reasons and implications of not
taking medications as prescribed or following through
with recommended treatment
n how to determine what services are needed by their relative, what is available in their community, and how they
can assist their relative in accessing these services
Nicole Chovil, PhD
n
n
n
information on ways to facilitate taking of medication on
a regular basis
learning about ways to deal with side-effects
assisting the person in working with their doctor around
side-effects
with their relative to develop a crisis plan for relapse
5 Working
it is recommended that this emergency plan — also known
n
n
Nicole is Director of
Programs and Support
Services for the British
Columbia Schizophrenia
Society. She is also
Project Manager for the
Canadian Family
Education Program, a
new education program
being developed by the
Schizophrenia Society of
Canada. Nicole is happy
to report that her
brother, Ian, is
successfully managing
his schizophrenia.
footnotes
as advance directives or Ulysses Agreements — include 1
steps to follow when the person feels the onset of illness or
episode: these might include increase in medication, contacting the family doctor (or psychiatrist) or taking time
off work. The emphasis should be on developing an action plan that enables the situation to be handled as safely
as possible
the plan should also include information about current 2
treatment, the names and contact details of health professionals and the local psychiatric facility, and a series of
steps to follow. It should also note the individuals who
comprise the person’s support network and the role that
each should play in the event of a crisis
Self-Management
Clark, R.E. (1996). “Family
support for persons with dual
disorders.” In R.E. Drake & K.T.
Mueser (Eds.), Dual diagnosis of
major mental illness and
substance abuse: Volume 2 –
Recent research and clinical
implications. (pp. 65-78). San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Goldman, H.H. (1984).“The
chronically mentally ill: Who are
they? Where are they?” In M.
Mirabi (Ed.), The chronically
mentally ill: Research and
services. (pp. 33-44). Spectrum
Publications.
No. 18/Summer 2003
8
background
n
the plan should also identify who will take care of finan- related resources for families
cial and other aspects of the person’s life should they need n Illness self-management strategies – Corrigan, P.W. (2002). Behavioral Health Recovery Management Project. Illinois. www.bhrm.org/guidelines/illness-self-mgmt.pdf
to be hospitalized or be unable to care for themselves
n
to foster a lifestyle conducive to recovery and main6Helping
tenance of good mental health
n
providing social support to relative
encouraging independence
encouraging engagement in exercise, social activities, work,
school, etc.
n
Mental illness is much like many other illnesses: with proper
medical care, management and strong support, people can recover. Families can play a valuable role in supporting persons
with mental illness.
n
n
n
n
n
n
Family services for severe mental illness – Mueser, K.T. (2003). Behavioral Health
Recovery Management Project. Illinois. www.bhrm.org/guidelines/Family%20Services.pdf
Evidence-based practices: A primer – New York State Office of Mental Health. (2001).
www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/omhq/q0901/Primer.html
Expert consensus treatment guidelines for schizophrenia: A guide for patients
and families – (1999). Journal of Clinical Psychology, 60(suppl 11). www.psychguides.com/
gl-treatment_of_schizophrenia_1999.html
Dealing with cognitive dysfunction associated with psychiatric disabilities:
A handbook for families and friends of individuals with psychiatric
disorders – Medalia, A. & Revheim, N. (2002). New York State Office of Mental Health.
www.omh.state. ny.us/omhweb/cogdys_manual/CogDysHndbk.htm
How to manage 5 common symptoms of schizophrenia – Jaffe, D.J. Abbreviated
version of article by P. Weiden & L. Havens that appeared in May 1995 issue of Hospital and
Community Psychiatry. www.schizophrenia.com/family/managesymptoms.html
Psychosocial management of noncompliance – Weiden P. (1997). Journal of Practical Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, 3, 169-186. www.ls.net/~fred/weiden/
weiden-1997-05-ho.pdf
Health Literacy and Management
of Chronic Health Conditions
n issue related to self-management of chronic health conditions, whatever their nature,
is literacy, or health literacy.
This article will attempt to
describe this relationship and
consider its implications for
people who are coping with
chronic diseases as well as those
who are trying to help them
help themselves. But first, what
do we mean by literacy and
health literacy? Unfortunately,
there are many definitions of
both concepts, none of which
enjoy universal acceptance.
However, the definition of literacy that is closest to being universally accepted is the one that
is used in the International
Adult Literacy Survey which
defines it as the “ability to understand and employ printed
information in daily activities
— at home, at work and in the
community — to achieve one’s
goals and develop one’s knowledge and potential.”1 This implies that literacy has to do with
how one is able to function in
the world and seems to be re-
A
Irving Rootman
Irving is Professor and
Michael Smith Foundation
for Health Research
Distinguished Scholar at
the University of Victoria
stricted to understanding and
using the written word. Others however, suggest that it
goes beyond the written word
to include the ability to speak
meaningfully and understand
oral communications. With regard to health literacy, a definition that is gaining increasing
international credibility is the
following one included in the
World Health Organization
Glossary on Health Promotion
which defines it as “the cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and
ability of individuals to gain
access to, understand, and use
information in ways which
promote and maintain good
health.”2 In this case, the sets
of skills are wider than those
suggested in the definition of
literacy and are related to the
context of health, broadly defined. There is however some
debate over whether or not
health literacy is a distinct type
of literacy with its own skills or
whether it is simply literacy
within the health context. I
personally take the view that
there are some unique skills associated with the health context (such as the ability to
interpret health concepts and
to navigate the health care system) that go beyond the basic
literacy skills which are needed
as well. In any case, it is clear
that at the present time at least,
health literacy is an increasingly-used concept and one that
applies to self-management of
chronic health conditions. Kate
Lorig, a well-known researcher
in the field of self-management,
suggests that “illness self-management involves three separate
components: basic illness management, emotion management, and role management.”3
But how does this relate to literacy or to health literacy? With
regard to basic illness management, it is especially clear that it
is related to both, but particularly health literacy given that
it means “understanding the illness and various strategies of
managing symptoms and stressors.”3 That is, it is obvious that
Self-Management
it is difficult, if not impossible,
to understand a complex illness
and strategies for addressing it
without having basic reading,
writing and oral communication skills as well as more advanced skills to interpret
medical concepts and information. With regard to emotion
management which involves
“coming to terms with the diagnosis, adjusting life expectations in healthy ways, and in
the case of mental illness, addressing stigma issues,”3 the relationship with literacy and
health literacy is less clear. However, it strikes me that having
basic literacy skills as well as
health literacy skills is helpful
in obtaining information and
support needed to manage or
cope with the emotional aspects
of the illness. Finally, in relation to role management which
means “developing the ability
to function effectively in valued social roles,”3 we know that
basic literacy is fundamental to
being able to play critical social
roles such as student or worker
No. 18/Summer 2003
background
and health literacy is important
in playing such roles within the
health care context where many
people work. Thus, there is no
doubt in my mind that literacy
and health literacy are important foundations for self-management of chronic health
conditions. Moreover, there is
growing evidence that promoting health literacy is an effective strategy for improving
self-management in health4 and
that limited health literacy impedes appropriate self-management for chronic disease.5 An
implication of this for people
with chronic health conditions
is that they need to try to improve their literacy and health
literacy skills at the same time
as, or before they become involved in, self-management
programs. An implication for
practitioners is that they need
to be aware of the literacy requirement of self-management
programs and encourage their
clients to upgrade their literacy
and health literacy skills. For
those of you who are interested
in learning more about literacy
and health literacy, I suggest
that you check out the website
for the National Literacy and
Health Program coordinated
by the Canadian Public Health
Association6 as well as links from
that site. If you would like to
become more involved in these
issues in British Columbia, I
suggest you contact the Health
Literacy Network of BC.7 In
addition, if you are interested
in research on the topic, you
may wish to join the Literacy
and Health Research Network
which is currently under development.8
9
footnotes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Statistics Canada. (1997). International adult literacy survey, reading the future:
A portrait of literacy in Canada. Ottawa: Special Survey Division, Cat. 89F0093XIE.
Kickbusch, I. & Nutbeam, D. (1998). “Health promotion glossary.” Health Promotion
International, 13, 349-364.
Macnaughton, E. (2003). “Illness self-management, early intervention and
supported education.” Visions: BC’s Mental Health Journal, 17, 6-7.
Levin-Zamir, D. & Peterberg, Y.D. (2001). “Health literacy in health systems:
Perspectives on patient self-management in Israel.” Health Promotion
International, 16(1), 87-94.
Williams, M.V., Baker, D.W., Parker, R.M. & Nurss, J.R. (1998).“Relationship of
functional health literacy to patients’ knowledge of their chronic disease.”
Archives of Internal Medicine, 158(2),166-72.
www.nlhp.cpha.ca
www.nald.ca/PROVINCE/QUE/litcent/health/finalsum/bd/bd14.html
A website is currently being developed. In the meantime, you could contact the
author irootman@uvic.ca.
Self-Efficacy and the
Chronic Disease
Self-Management
Program
Patrick McGowan, PhD
Patrick is Program Coordinator
for the Chronic Disease SelfManagement Program in BC.
He is also Research Affiliate
with the University of Victoria’s
Centre on Aging.
○
○
○
○
○
○
○
The skills taught in the CDSMP are very helpful for persons
living with chronic health conditions, but in the CDSMP, people
also increase their confidence in being able to manage their health
condition. This confidence is referred to as self-efficacy — a concept
first described by psychologist Albert Bandura in 1977.1
In his 1986 landmark publication entitled Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory, he defines
self-efficacy as:
“
People’s judgement of their capabilities to
organize and execute courses of action required
to attain designated types of performance.
It is concerned not with the skills one has but
with judgements of what one can do with
2
whatever skill one possesses.
“
T
he Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
(CDSMP) is a layperson-led patient education program
delivered to groups of 10–12 once a week for twoand-a-half hours for six consecutive weeks. The leaders, who have chronic health conditions themselves, complete a
four-day training workshop where they learn how to deliver the
program. People who take the CDSMP learn new information
but most importantly, they learn from each other. People learn
new skills and have opportunities to practice new skills, namely:
n ways of getting started with important behaviours such as
exercise and healthy eating (people usually know what they
are supposed to do but it is difficult getting started and maintaining these behaviours)
n how to problem-solve (people with chronic health problems
are continually faced with problems)
n how to communicate effectively with family, friends and health
care professionals
n how to effectively work with health care professionals
n how to deal with the anger, fear and frustration that commonly accompany having a chronic health condition
n how to deal with depression
n how to deal with fatigue
n how to evaluate treatment options (media, friends and family
members are constantly suggesting new medicines or treatments to try)
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
10
background
In other words, self-efficacy depends on the way we think
about our abilities to perform some activity — in this case, in
relation to managing an ongoing health condition — not on the
abilities themselves. As Bandura goes on to suggest, this means
that “people tend to avoid tasks and situations they believe exceed their capabilities, but … undertake and perform assuredly
activities they judge themselves capable of handling.” He maintains that a powerful way of improving an individual’s confidence in relation to performing a certain skill or behaviour (e.g.
a coping skill) is to observe a successful performance of it carried
out by someone else who appears to be similar. As was discussed
earlier, this phenomenon — learning and gaining confidence
from others — is a major strength of the group or social aspect
of the CDSMP.
Research has shown that there is a strong association between health outcomes and how one perceives his or her selfefficacy to perform a specific activity. For example, if someone
experiences severe back pain in the evening, by just knowing
strategies he or she could use to reduce the pain somehow reduces the pain experienced. People’s belief in their personal efficacy is a central mechanism mediating the effects of psychosocial
influence. Unless people believe they can produce desired effects by their actions, they have little incentive to act.
The Chronic Disease Self-management Program uses four
different strategies to increase people’s level of self-efficacy. It
provides mastery experiences that help participants gain a sense
of control over their health-related functioning through enhanced self-efficacy. As explained below, these include guided
mastery experiences, acquisition of skills and enhancement of
self-confidence through peer modeling, reinterpretation of physiological symptoms, and social persuasion.
Skills Mastery
fatigue can also be due to de-conditioning, poor nutrition, stress
or depression, participants have a rationale for trying new behaviours to manage fatigue. As each symptom or problem is
discussed, the multiple possible causes are identified and a set of
management techniques suggested. This allows participants to
choose techniques that fit within their cultural belief system. For
example, participants who have never exercised or who work at
physically demanding jobs may not accept the idea of exercising
to help control their disease. However, if exercise is linked to
dancing, for instance, it becomes fun and more easily adopted.
Social Persuasion
In each community, family and community relations are very
important. These social supports are incorporated in the program by having family members and friends attend and assist
participants in their new self-management activities. Another
form of persuasion comes from peer leaders encouraging participants to do more than they are doing now. For example, if
participants are walking fewer than three times a week, the leader might suggest walking one more time each week or a little
farther each time. These examples not only help to guide the
participants, but also support them as they begin making lifestyle changes.
Findings from diverse lines of research reveal that perceived
self-efficacy affects every phase of health behaviour change:
whether people even consider changing their health behaviours,
how much they benefit from treatment programs, how well
they maintain the changes they have achieved, and their vulnerability to relapse.3,4,5
As discussed throughout this article, evidence exists that selfefficacy is a key factor that mediates the effects of psychosocial
programs (such as the CDSMP) on the health status of individuals, including those with chronic health conditions.6,7 The structure and activities of the CDSM program is designed with this
knowledge in mind, and with the recognition that people’s ability to manage their health depends not only on their relevant
skills, but most importantly on their confidence in their abilities
to carry out those skills.
An important strategy used to enhance self-efficacy is skills mastery. In the CDSMP, participants think of a goal they would like
to achieve in three to six months and then think of small, achievable steps they can take toward that goal. Each week, they are
asked to form an action plan to try a behaviour that leads to
attaining their goal. Subsequent CDSMP sessions include time
for feedback on achieving their action plan and a discussion of
problems.
footnotes
Peer Modeling
1
Course leaders have chronic health conditions themselves, which
enhances assumed similarity between participants and leaders. 2
Assumed similarity enhances the impact of modeling. The program offers structured opportunities for participants to support 3
each other with problem-solving. Thus, participants model for
each other and by serving as self-models, enhance their selfefficacy. Finally, program members check in with each other 4
between the sessions to see how each is progressing with his or
her individual self-management plan.
5
Reinterpreting Symptoms
A person’s adaptations to disease are influenced by his or her 6
beliefs about the illness and its symptoms. For example, if a
person who experiences fatigue believes this to be a symptom of 7
the disease process, the individual will rest. If it is explained that
Bandura, A. (1977).“Self-efficacy:Toward a unifying theory of behavior change.”Psychological
review, 84(2), 191-215.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall. (p. 391).
Schwarzer, R. (1992). “Self-efficacy in the adoption and maintenance of health behavior:
Theoretical approaches and a new model.” In R. Schwarzer (Ed.), Self-efficacy: Thought, control
and action. (pp. 217-243). Washington: Hemisphere.
Holman, H., & Lorig, K. (1992).“Perceived self-efficacy in self-management of chronic disease.”
In R. Schwarzer (Ed.), Self-Efficacy: Thought control of action. (pp. 305-323). Washington: Hemisphere Publishing Corporation.
Maddux J.E. (1995). Self-Efficacy, adaptation and adjustment: Theory, research and application. New York: Plenum.
O’Leary, A. (1985).“Self-efficacy and health.” Behavioral Research and Theory, 23(4), 437-451.
O’Leary, A., Shoor, S., Lorig, K. & Holman, H.R. (1988). “A cognitive-behavioral treatment for
rheumatoid arthritis.” Health Psychology, 7(6), 527-544.
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
background
11
Mind vs. Matter
Perception and Recovery
L
ife is not easy and it can
demand our complete
attention, but the ability to navigate life’s daily difficulties relies on perceptions;
perceptions dictate action. Humans have the distinct ability
to endure hardships for the
sake of future reward in a way
other members of the animal
kingdom do not. This allows
us to design bridges, plan surprise parties, and tie our shoelaces. Perceptions are powerful,
and the power of human perception is unprecedented. Our
perceptions have allowed us to
reshape the world through science, literature, and art, allowing us to successfully execute
what we imagine. Imagining
how a building will look is not
enough; we must also be able
to perceive how best to construct it.
Perception also has a means
of acting on our health in a way
that is not completely understood by science, but we can
gain some insights by describing two phenomena: the
placebo effect, and the relationship between perception and
endurance.
The placebo effect enables
an illness treatment that would
otherwise have no medical value whatsoever to affect recovery or alleviation of symptoms.
If a patient is given a treatment
with no medical value and believes that it will work, it sometimes will. This belief can be
supplied by cultural beliefs,
personal beliefs, religion, or
even through trust in the
person who administers this
treatment. It is so remarkable a
phenomenon that research
studies evaluating the efficacy
of different treatments must go
through elaborate controls to
ensure that positive results are
not in fact the same improvements that could have been
noted had subjects been given
an inert placebo treatment rather than an active treatment.
Perception also enables people to endure discomfort to a
greater extent if they are led to
believe that this discomfort is
temporary. Breznitz1 investigated this phenomenon by asking
subjects to keep their hands in
ice-cold water, a painful prospect. The experimenter told
one group that the test would
last four minutes, but did not
give the information about a
time limit to the other group,
even though the test was to last
four minutes for both. It turned
out that participants in the second group were 50% less likely to keep their hands in the
water for the full four minutes
than the group that had been
told the test would last four
minutes. The group who had
been told about the timeframe
were better able to withstand
the discomfort, since they saw
a limit to it.
This effect was first noted
during the Second World War,
when flight crews on missions
over Germany were noted to
be suffering from stress-related
illnesses. Almost daily they
would fly into danger and suffer terrible casualties; their morale was understandably low. A
team of psychologists was then
consulted, and the problem of
stress-related illnesses was reduced through their advice. It
was their opinion that crew
members could perceive no end
to their ordeal and this was feeding their stress; so the psychologists suggested changing this
The success of illness management
strategies for mental illness can be
said to hinge on perception, in the
sense that their success requires the
belief that one will in fact succeed.
perception by specifying a
definite limit to the number of
missions each crew member
had to fly. Each crew member
was then informed that their
tour of duty would end after
forty missions. The incidence
of illness declined.
In both cases, illness-related phenomena (pain, stress-related illness) were shown to be
influenced by psychological
processes, and in both of these
cases, the primary active agent
could be loosely defined as
hope.
The success of illness management strategies for mental
illness can be said to hinge on
perception, in the sense that
their success requires the belief
that one will in fact succeed.
Success also hinges on a vision
of the self having an active role
in recovery. Exercising perceptual power in this fashion can
put mind over matter. The only
problem is, of course, perception itself.
With the onset of mental
illness, the world no longer
seems the same as it did before
illness. This can undermine
mental health consumers’ ability to interact with the world
and achieve goals, large or small.
If, for example, someone who
is depressed perceives a grumpy
cashier’s manner as personal
dislike, this can further fuel
symptoms of depression; by
contrast, someone without depression is better able to excuse
and/or ignore the cashier’s
manner.
Hope for recovery is hard
when faced with long-term illness. Upon diagnosis, consumers are often told that their
illnesses are likely to be lifelong, and therefore they must
struggle with a sense of veryreal-yet- invisible boundaries.
This concept of internal barriers is such an abstract and implacable concept that often
consumers can feel defeated by
it. Therefore, people with mental illness cannot perceive any
eventual improvement, or generate the motivational energy
necessary to embark on a strategy for managing the illness.
It is in human nature to
hope. One can be persuaded
to hope by any number of
means, either by oneself or
through friends, family, observation or caregivers. One psychologist, Nicholas Humphrey,
claims that this hope can come
from three different means of
persuasion: personal experience
(observing something yourself),
rational argument (relying on
logical argument), and external
authority (the influence of a
respected authority figure). 2
Self-Management
Coralie McCormick
Coralie is Employment
Database Administrator and
Insurance Project Research
Assistant at CMHA BC Division
footnotes
1
2
Breznitz, S. (1999). “The effect
of hope on pain tolerance.”
Social Research, 66, 629-652.
Humphrey, N. (2000). How to
solve the mind-body
problem. Charlottesville:
Imprint Academic.
No. 18/Summer 2003
12
background
Everything that is done in
the world is done by hope.
—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Any one or combination of
these factors can enhance (not
guarantee) the success of an illness management strategy. Perhaps observing the recovery of
someone with a similar diagnosis on a documentary can aid
someone in envisioning recovery. Perhaps a therapist or psy-
chiatrist can fuel this hope by
describing the likelihood of
success of a treatment regimen.
Believing in the logic of a wellresearched illness management
strategy can also work.
Building belief takes work
and maintaining that belief in
spite of inevitable setbacks can
be crucial to learning to live with
illness. Successfully changing
perceptions — changing the
way you look at yourself and
the world — can be pivotal to
the success of illness management and recovery.
Self-Management and Addictions
A
n increasing body of literature supports treating addiction
as a chronic relapsing disease, a move which is paralleled
by similar shifts in our understanding of several mental disorLisa is Marketing Assistant ders. Self-management is recognized as providing an approprifor the Kaiser Foundation, a ate framework for the treatment of a wide range of chronic
BC addictions charity illnesses. It encourages individuals to take responsibility for their
own recovery and to utilize available resources effectively to
achieve healthier lives.
There are many parallels between addictions and conditions
where self-management approaches have been effective, such as
adult onset diabetes, asthma and hypertension:1
n multiple factors contribute to the onset of the disorder:
genetic, biological, behavioural and environmental
n behavioural choices play a part in both the onset and
severity of the disorder, regardless of whether a biological or
genetic predisposition exists
footnotes
n rates of successful treatment are similar across all disorders
(as with other chronic diseases, the success of addictions
1
McLellan, A.T., Lewis, D.C.,
treatments is measured in terms of improvement rather
O’Brien, C. P., & Kleber, H.D.
(2000).“Drug dependence: A
than complete recovery)
chronic medical illness.” Journal
n rates of compliance with pharmacological or behavioural
of the American Medical
treatment regimes are comparable across all disorders
Association, 284, 1689-1695.
n factors such as low socio-economic status, comorbid
2
Committee on Addictions of the
psychiatric conditions, and lack of family or social supports
Group for the Advancement of Psyare most commonly associated with lack of treatment
chiatry. (2002).“Responsibility and
compliance and relapse after treatment for all disorders.
choice in addiction.” Psychiatric
Lisa Dive
PhD (candidate)
Services, 53(6), 707-713.
3
Apodaca, T.R. & Miller, W.R.
(2003). “A meta-analysis of the
effectiveness of bibliotherapy
for alcohol problems.” Journal of
Clinical Psychology, 59(3),
289-304.
In treating a chronic disease, supporting the person’s self-management ability is an important factor, and involves a number of
aspects. The person must be informed about their condition,
and they must learn strategies for improving their health and
avoiding a relapse. Often there is a treatment regime that must
be followed, and the patient must understand the importance
of maintaining it. These principles can be applied to addictions,
to various mental disorders, and to other chronic diseases.
For instance, an asthma sufferer must take daily preventative
medications, exercise regularly, ensure they always have emergency inhalers with them, and avoid aggravating situations (such
as dusty environments or a park in springtime). Similarly, a recovering addict must comply with a treatment regime, such as
regular counselling, daily methadone doses, or nicotine patches.
Improving other areas of their lives, for instance, spending time
with family and exercising regularly, are also valuable in the
course of recovery. Like the person with asthma, and like an
individual with diabetes who must avoid sugary foods, recovering addicts may also need to avoid potential aggravating situations, such as friends they used with or situations that may make
them want to use again. In each of these examples, self-management allows individuals with a chronic relapsing condition to
take an active role in their recovery.
Applying self-management principles to problem substance
use has the added benefit that it fits with a harm reduction approach. This philosophy recognizes the value of achieving improved overall health, reduced use, a stabilized living situation, an
improved employment situation, and other gains that work towards the individual’s stabilization and reintegration into society.
Self-management allows and encourages individuals to participate in setting their own goals and determining the type of
intervention that is likely to be helpful for them. A variety of
goals are supported under this approach, which is an advantage
since the same goals may not be appropriate for everyone. For
instance, one problem drinker may adopt strategies to limit their
use to within-moderate drinking guidelines, while another may
find that abstinence is their preferred goal.
The question of competence or capability is an important
consideration when applying self-management principles to addictions treatment. An addicted individual’s competence varies
over time; it is not constant. There are a range of factors that can
constrain the choices available to an individual at a given time.2
Examples of such constraining factors include:
n poverty
n past or present abuse
n lack of a supportive home environment
n undesirable peer or social influences
n unemployment
n physical or psychological cravings
n psychiatric problems
The more such factors are present, the more difficult (although
not impossible) it may be for the individual to make healthier
choices.
When an individual’s ability to choose is constrained by
circumstances such as these, self-management can be more challenging. If there are too many constraints limiting the choices
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
background
available to the individual, a great deal of support will be required. In some situations, for example, when a person is overdosing, they may be incapable of any action and require
professional intervention. However, if all interventions are informed by a self-management approach, they can work with the
aim of supporting the person into a more empowered position
and improving their ability to make healthy choices.
There is evidence that specific self-management techniques
are valid and effective in addressing the problem of addictions.
A recent study found that providing people with self-help materials in a written format was as effective as more intensive counselling in reducing at-risk and harmful drinking among problem
drinkers who self-referred, as opposed to those who were re-
13
ferred to treatment by others.3
While this particular intervention is only one among many
self-management techniques, this finding reinforces the idea that
self-management approaches, in general, may be a cost-effective
way of addressing substance use problems. While extensive research has not yet been undertaken into the effectiveness of such
techniques for addictions of varying type and severity, it appears
a promising route to pursue. After all, many people with substance use problems have been successfully self-managing to a
more healthy state. Nevertheless, there is a need for both the
development of a range of self-management tools for addictions
and for broad evaluations of their efficacy.
Caring for Self and Others
Consumer Board and Committee Participation
C
onsumer representation
and participation on
boards and committees has
been an important step in improving the mental health system. A research study aimed at
understanding consumers’ experiences on boards and committees highlighted important
issues in relation to self-care
and participation. The study
included consumers who were
active members of boards and
committees in the mental health
field in British Columbia for
at least a one-year period. The
consumers became involved
with boards and committees
due to a desire to make the
mental health system better for
other consumers. One person
said, “If I can help one person
to keep from experiencing
what I experience, it makes it
all worth it.” Overall, board
and committee membership
posed a number of challenges
and benefits in relation to
self-care.
Consumers stated the main
reason they were asked to participate on boards and committees was to use their firsthand knowledge of the mental
health system to inform policy
and practice. Consequently, in
meetings they would sometimes share personal experienc-
es, which could be painful and
distressing. The consumers
were strongly attached to their
views of the mental health system but these views were not
always recognized or validated
by other committee members.
Consultation did not mean
agreement, which was stressful
given the personal investment
of the consumers.
The majority of consumers
interviewed reported a high
degree of stress and frustration
due to relationships with other
board members and the board
process in general. One consumer said, “It takes a lot of
energy, a lot of analytical sort of
energy to be doing board work,
and a lot of political sort of
things ... It’s really an unusual
kind of stress.” Some consumers reported feeling burned out,
that they were mentally and
emotionally exhausted because
they were spread too thin due
to a shortage of consumers who
were willing to participate on
boards and committees. At
times, they felt disempowered,
isolated, and responsible for
speaking on behalf of all consumers. This responsibility increased the pressure they felt to
perform: “I just think it feels
more uncomfortable when
you’re a consumer because you
feel the weight of all these
people who need help, who
need assistance like that. I
don’t want to act as some kind
of interpreter.”
Sometimes consumers were
intimidated given the power
differential they experienced
with non-consumers on their
board or committee. “It’s not
only not equal, it’s slanted and
it’s threatening and very ominous at one end, and that’s the
end the consumers are playing
at.” Differences in power often
translated into differences in
recognition and status. Furthermore, membership on boards
and committees sometimes
placed the consumer in a conflict of interest in relation to his
or her own mental health care.
They were sometimes in the
position of receiving services
from the agency of which they
were a board member, forcing
them to make alternative arrangements for their mental
health care.
Despite a number of challenges posed to self-care, the
consumers stated board and
committee membership also
brought numerous benefits.
Self-Management
Deborah MacNamara
Deborah is a counsellor at
Kwantlen University College
and assists students with
career, academic, and personal
issues. She is currently
completing a doctorate in
Interdisciplinary Studies at the
University of British Columbia
No. 18/Summer 2003
14
EXPERIENCES AND PERSPECTIVES
The Challenge to Manage
Nan Dickie
Nan is author of A
Map for the journey:
Living meaningfully with
recurring depression.
You may purchase her
book by emailing her at
nan-dickie@shaw.ca. Nan is
offering a course “Not Just
the Blues: Managing Major
Depression” through North
Shore Continuing Education
on Thursday, November
13, 2003. Phone (604)
903-3333; Course
number: HE 79-1.
A
s a person with a 40-year history of recurring depression
(unipolar mood disorder), I am encouraged by the new
language and strategies that have recently entered the
realm of treatment for people with mental illness.
For many years, the term self-help has been used to describe
various ways by which people with mental illnesses can best
contend with the symptoms of mental illness. Numerous selfhelp books (of varying applicability) line bookstore shelves; a
growing number of useful self-help groups exist.
Today, we talk about illness self-management. This term
challenges one to be even more responsible for his or her life.
Self-help, though a proactive term, seems to imply coping with,
dealing with, or living with an illness. Self-management, on the
other hand, as used today, goes one step further; it requires that
people with mental illnesses be responsible, not simply to help
themselves, but to:
n learn everything they can about their illness, its usual and
abnormal symptoms, and the wide range of traditional and
alternative treatments
Caring for Self and Others (cont’d from prev. page)
Through their board or committee, consumers often learned
of mental health services and
resources that could benefit
them directly. They also developed friendships, felt empowered, experienced greater
self-esteem and confidence,
which all served to enhance
one’s self-care. One consumer
said participating on boards and
committees, “changed my attitude, my whole self concept,
this board…I was always
ashamed of my disease, very
ashamed and kind of paranoid,
almost to the point of hysteria
…of people finding out that I
was a mental patient.”
Good self-care according to
consumers meant finding a
balance between taking care of
themselves and their responsibilities as board and committee
members. Having a strong support network of friends and
family helped them cope with
the stress and pressure. In order to survive mentally and
emotionally, some of the con-
sumers changed the expectations they had of themselves in
relation to their board and committee work. One person said,
“certainly since I’ve started, my
definition of what could be accomplished has changed you
know, I feel that I had to really
change my expectations to survive … because, or else I would
have just exploded with frustration I think.”
Like any job, board and
committee membership requires attention to self-care and
managing one’s stress and workload. The irony of board and
committee membership is that
in the process of trying to take
care of other consumers and
make a difference, consumers
face increased challenges to their
own self-care. Given the importance of consumer participation
on boards and committees there
is merit for consumers and nonconsumers to consider how to
better support participants
with these challenges.
artist: Caroline Deri
n
n
n
with this knowledge, devise a personalized, comprehensive
and well-thought-out action plan for their entire life of repeating mood cycles
when possible, employ applicable self-management strategies and/or self-help strategies
find the necessary outside resources (personal and professional) to truly manage the illness throughout their lives, and
use these resources effectively and optimally.
Everyone can, and sometimes ought to, be challenged beyond
their present capabilities. That is a requisite for growth. When
people with mental illness accept the term self-management,
chances are that they will strive, and sometimes — hopefully
often — succeed in going beyond what they had previously
been able to do, and perhaps even beyond what was thought to
be possible.
Self-management strategies must not be onerous or complex, for if they are, one may well face failure, something people
with mental illnesses are too familiar with already. Nor should
self-management be assumed to necessarily ease symptoms of an
episode, or hasten recovery from it. Wise self-management strategies may do so, but there is no guarantee. However, when one
employs self-management strategies on an ongoing basis, one
may discover, over time, that the quality of life during all phases
of a cycle may be enhanced.
For self-management to work, strategies must be realistic,
and customized for each person, as no two people experience
episodes in exactly the same way, with identical symptoms, nor
to the same degree of severity.
Often the most one can do on the descent into an episode, and
during an episode, is to employ self-help techniques which have
worked in the past, as well as some they may have learned about
since their last episode. For instance, during a particularly dreadful
episode of depression, a person’s self-help may be limited by
the grip of the symptoms, to ensuring personal safety and eating
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
15
properly. This being the case, it is best to establish, implement,
sode? Might there be a genetic component to your illness?
reinforce, and if necessary, revise self-management strategies dur- n Seek out courses or workshops offered on coping with and
ing remission (that is, good mental health), and during the long
managing mental illness
road to recovery when one regains self-confidence, a self-concept n Determine aspects of your illness that are different than those
beyond the illness, and a sense of hope and optimism.
of other people and seek ways of dealing with them. ConsidA question facing a person with mental illness is: what strater joining a self-help group, a safe environment in which to
egies beyond those of self-help can I employ to manage my
explore a wide range of mental health and illness issues
episodes, and the rest of my life with the mental illness? Here are
a few suggestions:
Plan for the Future
Make Informed Decisions About Treatment
n Make wise career or education choices, taking into account
n Discuss all medications with your doctor or psychiatrist, and
that you may have episodes of your mental illness for your
perhaps as well, your pharmacist. What are the intended
whole working life
effects and likely side-effects of a medication, or combina- n Plan strategies for managing future episodes, based on what
tion of medications? You may choose to examine alternatives
works best for you now
to conventional medications
n Tell supporters (family, friends, colleagues) how they may
n What other treatments are available other than medication?
contribute to your illness management program during each
What types of therapy are available? Would it be wise for you
phase of your mood cycle
to pursue one of them?
By implementing and practicing illness self-management strateEducate Yourself
gies during every phase of our mood cycles, we who have mood
n Find out the causes of your illness: exactly what is happen- disorders (or other mental illnesses) can lead productive, chaling in your body when you enter and recover from an epi- lenging and meaningful lives.
Limitations and Complexities
of my Self-Management
I
recently learned that my mental disorder (unipolar depression) will be a life-long battle. It was
hard to hear, after seven years on medications and still in my mid-20s, that the reason the
weaning-off process never seemed to work well for me was because I probably needed to be on
meds for life. Of course, over the course of these past seven years — and the relapses and setbacks
and successes along the way — I have learned a whole host of techniques and skills, and pursued
various alternatives that help keep me well: from relationships with doctors, to going through
counseling, to making lifestyle changes and nurturing social supports. These skills and processes
for participating in my own recovery are what academics and others now call self-management.
I call it ‘taking care of myself.’
Still, I sometimes feel the whole concept of self-management isn’t great for self-blaming
perfectionists like me. I know it isn’t trying to suggest I can ‘fix’ my condition myself, but I do
know a lot of things that can help. And that help can feel awfully powerful sometimes. But there
are a few barriers that I, and many others I imagine, inevitably come across:
Sarah Hamid-Balma
Sarah is Visions’
Production Editor and
Public Education and
Communications
Coordinator at CMHA
BC Division
taking some control away from this beast of a disorder inside me has been very thera1Although
peutic, not everything about my condition is within my direct control (if it were, it’s probably a
sign of a transient depressed mood, not the illness of depression). So I can be maintaining a
healthy lifestyle, and taking my meds faithfully and I can still crash and not prevent it. This
happened recently, and it can be really hard to cope with because I feel I have failed somehow. I
start to think, “well, self-management has helped prevent relapse before, why not this time? is
there something I could have done? forgot to do?” After all, using self-management principles, I’ve
been able to cut down my setbacks to twice a year; when I ignore those principles, I can easily have
symptoms return half a dozen times a year. So self-management can be powerful medicine, but it’s
not a cure-all; it has its limitations. And that’s hard to remember sometimes because it has been so
helpful to me.
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
16
principles of self-management are often the hardest things to bring myself to do when
2The
I’m even slightly low. When I’m depressed, I feel like brooding, oversleeping and eating all
the wrong foods — even though I know better! But I’m not alone here. Think about it: most
North Americans know that exercising or eating lots of fruits and vegetables is good for you,
but plenty of folks still sit on the couch eating potato chips. My point is that knowing is one
thing; doing is quite another. There are a lot of health-promotion principles, mental illness
self-management included, that make sense, sound good, feel good, and we know them
intellectually to be true. But it takes something else altogether to make them resonate
emotionally — and that’s where true behavioural change and motivation come from. As a
counselor of mine once told me, “The trip from the head to the heart is the longest seventeen
inches in the world.” Long indeed.
any co-occurring conditions can make self-management that much more difficult.
3Having
So imagine what happens in these two common scenarios for me:
a disabling sleep disorder that is unrelated to my depressive illness. As a result of the
asleepI have
disorder that leaves me unrefreshed upon waking, I have a tendency to feel sleepy and
lethargic a lot. That sleepy feeling I carry with me all day is frustrating and often depressing.
It even feels like depression, which it isn’t, which, in turn, makes it harder to fight off any real
symptoms of depression that do ever return.
I have chronic allergies to a whole slew of environmental allergens, and although I get two
weekly allergy shots, symptoms are still a real bother. However, I can’t take antihistamines to
relieve them, because they always interact with my antidepressants and trigger a depressive
episode. The ear-nose-throat congestion that goes unrelieved then bothers me during my
sleep making my sleep disorder worse (see a above!) and the cycle continues. The figure
below should further shed light on the complexities of self-management in my world.
b
Anyway, you probably get the idea. Self-management doesn’t happen in a vacuum. You
can control only certain variables and have to take the rest as they come.
figure 1 a glimpse into my depression self-management world
Everyone can draw a map
like this, whether you have
a mental illness or not. The
difference is one of degree.
The consequences of each
arrow require that I pay
much more attention to
these interrelationships,
only a few of which I’ve
shown here.
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
17
My Brother’s Nightmare
Coming to Terms with and
Learning to Manage Hallucinations
P
eople who cannot distinguish reality from illusion may be worse off
than those who are terminally
ill. We often hear of the mind’s
great power to overcome a
physical ailment, even one
that’s considered incurable. But
what if the ailment is part of
the mind itself? Unlike those
who suffer from diseases such
as cancer or AIDS or those who
are physically challenged, people who suffer from hallucinatory and delusional symptoms
of schizophrenia have no idea
where the problem is, since the
mind itself is playing tricks on
them. What mental anguish
do these people feel as they
go through this continuous
nightmare? How can family
and friends help, if at all?
My brother was a normal
teenager, bright, conscientious,
and academically brilliant. Five
years ago, a few months after
we arrived as high school students from Hong Kong, my
brother became very sensitive
towards ‘noise.’ One day we
were on the bus on the way
home from school; he turned
to me and said, “Did you hear
what other people around us
are mumbling about?” Not
only was he staring at the person he believed was talking
about him, he also started responding to what he heard by
mumbling to himself. He earnestly told me that people were
following him around all day
and were mocking and ridiculing him. Initially, I thought it
was some kind of a joke and
replied like most people would:
“What do you mean? I have
been with you all day and have
not seen or heard the people
you are talking about.”
“Of course you wouldn’t
notice. They’re after me. They
belong to a group that’s targeting me only,” he said.
Though he let the conversation drop, over the next few
months such conversations
would occur again and again.
As time went on, he became
more and more obsessed with
the voices in his head. He was
always ready to give me detailed, seemingly-logical answers whenever I questioned
what he saw or heard. With my
limited knowledge of psychological illnesses, one day I had
a talk with him and told him
how I thought we could approach the problem. We started out by doing some research
on the internet together.
Everything we read seemed to
point in the direction of schizophrenia. I was still hoping
that I would be wrong. However, after we consulted with a
psychologist, my brother was
tentatively diagnosed with
schizophrenia.
A few weeks after seeing
the psychologist in Burnaby,
one day my brother sobbed
desperately at school that he
wanted to kill himself. Not
knowing what to do, we went
to an instructor we knew for
help. He suggested we go to
Vancouver General Hospital
immediately. By the time we
arrived at VGH, he was getting
desperate about the voices in
his head, “I hear a lot of voices
all around me. People are mocking and jeering at me non-stop.
I can’t take it any more. I feel
like ...” After some eight hours
of examination by doctors and
psychiatrists at the hospital, my
brother was hospitalized in the
mental health ward for the next
few weeks.
During his stay in the hospital, he was put on different
medications and dosages every
two weeks as the doctor was
trying to find out what worked
best for him. Each medication
brought on different side-effects: dry mouth and fatigue,
for example. But regardless of
what medicine he took, sideeffects inevitably came with it,
although some less severe than
others. On the medication with
the least side-effects, my brother looked happier and more relaxed, and heard no voices. I
went to see him after school
every day. However, when I
took him out of the ward for a
walk, the voices would come
back to haunt him, especially
in crowded areas. After a month
or so, he was released from the
hospital.
As the days passed, he became increasingly more upset
and worried about how he
could continue with his life,
especially with school, when he
found out that the medication
could only reduce hallucinatory symptoms, but could never
be able to eliminate them all.
In addition to my brother’s
difficulty in accepting this
fact, our parents, who live in
Hong Kong, were also stunned
to learn of his mental illness and
of its incurable condition.
Months after he was released from the hospital, a
friend introduced my brother
to a woman in her 60s who’d
been suffering from schizophrenia for the last 20 years. She
had it so bad that she couldn’t
hold down a job, left her family, and was homeless for many
years living on skid row. When
my brother spoke to her, even
though she was still on medication, her life had normalized.
He spoke to her at length in a
restaurant on Commercial
Street. Asking very few questions, he was listening to her
most of the time learning from
her experience. Inspired after
listening to how she survived
the illness, he told me that he
wanted to overcome this illness
with as much courage as she.
For a few months, he did
demonstrate courage in fighting
this illness. Whenever the voices started to cram into his head,
he would first ask me whether I
heard those voices as well. If not,
he would try to convince himself that the noises were not real.
But, when the voices got too
unmanageable, he would learn
to tell me about them instead of
mumbling to himself. For a
while, it did appear that he was
on top of things.
With more confidence in
living with unreal voices, his illness became more stable — or
so it seemed to us. However, his
increased confidence also
prompted him to skip dosages.
I didn’t know until the university counsellor sent him to the
hospital again. He fightingly
said, “I heard a lot of noises
around me again. A lot. Nonstop. I’ve forgotten to take medication a few times in the last
Self-Management
M.C. Wong
M.C. is a 3rd year
international
psychology major at
Simon Fraser University
and volunteer in the
Chinese mental health
promotion program at
CMHA Vancouver/
Burnaby branch
No. 18/Summer 2003
18
two weeks. I didn’t mean to do
that. I just forgot. You can’t
understand. I can’t focus in class
after taking the medicine.”
Every time he skipped his medication, he had to start with a
new medication plan that doubled his original dosage. He was
also forced to go back to the
ward again for the next couple
of weeks. He said he deeply regretted what he had done.
Being re-hospitalized must
have taught him to be more vigilant in taking his medication.
Rather than being apathetic and
frustrated, he was more zealous
than ever in fighting the hallucinations. Not only was he willing to go out alone, he also
improved his strategy in dealing with the voices. Whenever
he heard too many voices, he
would try to go to a quiet place
to empty his mind. He also tried
to convince himself that those
voices were unreal. But if he felt
he was losing self-control, he
would try to reach me, friends
or even our parents to distract
himself from the voices. Sometimes, he would bring a CD
player along with him wherever
he went, so when disturbed by
voices, he would just put on
his headphones and try to ignore them. Though small, these
pro-active techniques did help
my brother cope with the
symptoms.
The voices would appear
and disappear like waves rising
and subsiding. A couple of
years ago, when another wave
of symptoms came crashing in,
he made a difficult decision to
quit school and return to Hong
Kong. Under the care of a psy-
chiatrist there, he is now in his
last year of university. The
waves still come and go, but he
finds the symptoms more manageable living at home.
Though I couldn’t, and
perhaps never will, understand
the mental hell he has gone
through and is going through,
there are a few things I have
found effective in helping him
cope. First, telling him what is
exactly happening in reality can
help him make a distinction
between what is real and what
is not. This is crucial in helping
him actively fight the voices.
For my brother, and I suspect
for most people in a similar
situation, accepting the illness
seems to be the most challenging task, because a passive attitude would lead him to be
completely dependent on the
medication and reduce any effort in dealing with the illness.
But once he accepts his condition, he will learn to deal with
the symptoms actively. Second,
family support is another big
resource in dealing with schizophrenia, especially at the
beginning of treatment. His
confusion, as well as the negative side-effects of the medication, can easily lead to passivity.
Family support gives him the
strength for positive thoughts.
In a phone conversation
with him last week, my brother now seems to be living a fairly normal life. He knows that
this is a challenging and difficult journey, but he tells me that
he won’t allow the voices to interfere with his life. “The more
noise I hear, the more I am going to fight it,” he added.
Self-Management of
Psychosis and Schizophrenia
Dana
Dana is a Master’s Student
in Political Science at Simon
Fraser University and Branch/
Public Communications
Support at CMHA BC Division
footnotes
1
2
Chapman, R.K. (1997).
“Eliminating paranoid delusions
and telepathy-like ideas in
schizophrenia: A personal
account.” In C.T. Mowbray, et al.
(Eds.), Consumers as providers
in psychiatric rehabilitation. (pp.
201-208). Columbia: International
Association of Psychosocial
Rehabilitation Services.
Martyn, D. The experiences and
views of self-management of
people with a schizophrenia
diagnosis. London: SelfManagement Project.
www.rethink.org/recovery/
self-management
T
o some it might sound like an oxymoron, but many
believe it possible that people with schizophrenia can
manage this illness in a way that will enable them to
lead fulfilling lives. I present three accounts in favour of
this approach. One is by Canadian Robert Chapman, who recovered from this illness and now speaks to others about his journey
to recovery. Another presents excerpts from UK’s Rethink Project.
And the last one is my personal look at this issue as someone who
has been hospitalized and recovered from psychosis.
Chapman’s three-step strategy worked as follows:
“The first step was to recognize the delusional scenarios. Evidence for delusional ideas were found to contain doubt. Second,
I developed counter-arguments and explored alternative interpretations [for my delusional interpretation]. The third step was
to replace the delusion with reality, truth and rationality.”
He developed the method over the course of several years.
After that, he went public with his findings, to share this journey with others on TV, in newspapers, conferences and in books
he has written. Unfortunately at present, his books are hard to
Robert Chapman’s Approach
obtain in libraries or bookstores since they are out of print. HowRobert’s Chapman account of his fight with schizophrenia is ever, his website, www.nas.net/~chapmanr, describes the approach
one of determination to conquer delusional beliefs by replacing in more detail.
them by others that are based on reality. At first, Chapman
became angry at the illness, a turning point on a slow path to Rethink: Self-Management Project for Schizophrenia
recovery. He says that “there ought not be a race in trying to When considering self-management, we shouldn’t just focus on
recover.”1 Although it is an illness that is usually branded on eliminating the negative impacts that the illness has on our lives.
people as a terminal one, he did not want to accept that fate, and The organization known as Rethink, based in the UK, conductby applying ‘method to his madness,’ developed ways of con- ed a study that asked people with schizophrenia their views on
trolling it. What started Chapman down this path was when self-management.2 And as the study showed, a focus on the
someone told him that his ideas were part of an internal process positives of the illness experience is also an important aspect of
related to his disease, rather than something external. This al- self-management. For instance, one person interviewed in the
lowed him to develop his method for testing out his often- study noted the positives of “having a feeling for sounds of
delusional ideas against reality.
words and seeing puns in what people say — loving music and
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
feeling at one with nature and the universe — being strongly
affected by beauty in a positive way”; another felt that he was “a
much better person for having suffered… and …many facets of
my personality have developed as a result.”
The Self-Management Project finds that self-management
is an individual journey, but one with common themes such as:
n acceptance of experiences
n struggling against societal stigma
n journeying through different understandings of illnessrelated experiences, including the psychiatric, social
and spiritual
n over a period of time, developing hard-won coping strategies
n having to choose between fitting into ‘normal’ society and
redefining what ‘normal’ is and giving value to difference
The self-management strategies in this approach and in the one
discussed above involve more than medication. They also inately, to my elderly and blind mother, I have been reading
volve communication with the person about the illness experialoud The right words at the right time by Marlo Thomas.
ence, as well as developing ways of evaluating and countering
unhelpful ideas, such as delusions, paranoia or negative ideas Famous and well-known persons such as fighter Mohammed
Ali, TV host Katie Couric, and writer Tom Wolfe, offer up stoabout oneself.
ries. They tell of moments, for them, when something someone
said motivated them to move ahead and achieve success.
My Personal Experience
As a mental health consumer, I too recall valuable advice,
From my personal experience of psychosis, I found that the
turning point in my hospitalization came at a time when I was accepted from mentors, that helped me to cope with life. Four
thinking that I could not trust anybody, that everybody wanted special comments played a vital role when direction was much
me dead, and that there was no other escape other than suicide. needed. Coming at crucial points during my psychological growGradually, I started remembering my childhood and the times ing pains, they gave pause for reflection. In turn, they enabled a
when I was loved and when I trusted people. I then made a greater degree of integrity and balance to take place.
My late father’s wisdom fostered in my heart and soul the
decision to trust someone that I knew and felt good about.
And that’s how I started climbing up the ladder from the pit ability to carry on and endure my mood swings. Often, in the
of delusions and hallucinations. Another turning point was when early years of my illness, he would join me in my basement suite
I was finally provided information about schizophrenia: the first in the family home. During those evenings, we’d listen to inspirdiagnosis my doctors gave me. I asked them repeatedly for it, but ing songs like Pick yourself up, High hopes and The impossible
for some reason they were reluctant to give it to me until almost dream. But one thing he said, touched me deeply. Concerning
the end, when they deemed I was ‘ready.’ Once I held this infor- my extreme highs and lows, he remarked “Nothing is ever as
mation in my hands and was able to read academic text — just like good as you hope or as bad as you fear.”
Like dad, my brother is fiercely loyal and, in his busy schedI used to for my classes at university — I realized that all the
delusions of grandeur, paranoias and hallucinations I experienced ule, has always found quality time to spend with me. One day
had also been shared by many others before me. I also realized that over lunch, I shared my little pearl that “there are no answers.” He
I was not as special as I thought I was, in the grand scheme of looked me in the eye and, smiling, said “Jim, there are no questhings, and that I would be able to lead the normal life I wished. tions!” A light lit up in my head. It wasn’t necessary to ask the
After that, I had to relearn how to look at people and to walk ‘who, what, why, where and when’ of the mystery of life. Just live
the streets in the same way as other people do. It was hard be- spontaneously in the moment and, as the Beatles sing, Let it be.
Dropping out of law school when I had my breakdown, my
cause I was still fighting my delusions and was ashamed of what
had happened to me. But slowly, within weeks, my rational intellectual drive was channeled into serious works of philosothinking and determination brought me out of my previous phy and psychology. I became full of ideas and theories that had
frame of mind. My sense of humour helped too, in tackling the no relevance to my day-to-day functioning in the world.
One day I was expounding to my mother. She sat quietly
embarrassment of returning to places where my psychosis happened. For that quality, and for all of the strengths that enabled and patiently, listening. When I came up for air, she poetically
my recovery, I am very grateful to my upbringing, and to my said “let the muddy waters settle.” It dawned on me that I needed to stop reading so deeply and clear my mind, allowing the
wonderful family, friends and therapists.
Before I came back to SFU, where I was studying at the time, kernels to separate from the chaff.
The last insight I’d like to discuss came from the Merv Griffin
I flew back home to recuperate for the summer, and got excellent
care at the Centre for the Treatment of Psychosis, where I received Show on television. One of the guests was an actress, then appearing on a popular sitcom. She preached that everyone in the world
help from a psychiatrist, psychologist and cognitive therapist.
I think all of these things have been an important part of my must meditate as the end was near. Merv asked his other guest,
recovery and my ability to self-manage, and I would recom- singer-songwriter Roger Miller, if he had anything to say. Roger
simply said “I’m gonna plant in the spring.”
mend them to anyone.
19
Valuable Advice
L
Self-Management
Jim Gifford
Jim is the editor of In A
Nutshell, a publication of
the Mental Patients
Association
No. 18/Summer 2003
20
On the Morning Tides
Hope in Self-Management of Mental Illness
Scott Whyte
Scott worked for the
RCMP, where he served
as a constable for 23
years. In BC, he was
stationed in Quesnel,
Fraser Lake, Alert Bay,
Fort St. John, 100 Mile
House, Prince Rupert,
and on the PV Pearkes, a
patrol vessel working
on BC’s West Coast.
He retired to Prince
George, where he now
works as Education and
Projects Coordinator for
CMHA Prince George
branch
I
t seems like a long time ago
and so far away. I am speaking of my near breakdown
and diagnosis of bipolar
disorder, or manic depression. I
say near breakdown, because
successfully breaking anything
nowadays usually would spell
its end. We may live in a fastpaced world of disposable
goods, but I am one good that
won’t easily be tossed.
Not so many years ago in
the history of psychiatric treatment, our role as being a part
of ‘the team’ would have been
scoffed at and universally resisted. In more recent times, success stories are validating today’s
growing evolution toward psychosocial rehabilitation practices, where consumers are being
drawn into active participation,
becoming an integral part of
our own treatment plans. There
are still some of the ‘old time
thinkers’ in positions of authority, but thankfully there is a new
wave of belief, knowledge and
hope arriving on each morn-
ing’s tide. I believe that with
each flooding tide comes natural erosion for a positive change.
I recognize milestones regularly within my own recovery and
there can be no doubt that I
am self-managing my illness.
I needed to know my illness and get reacquainted with
myself on very intimate terms.
I had to identify triggers, learn
to recognize and monitor how
I felt every day. This led me to
an understanding that my triggers were all related to stress. Extreme stress had been a very
dangerous element in my life. I
am stuck with a mental illness,
but I can do something positive with my stress. I began to
research stress management.
What did I find out? Don’t let
anyone tell you that you can
resolve stress with one pill, or
that you will be freed by laughter; it’s more complicated than
that. While researching, I was
also impressed by the apparent
influence that stress seems to
have over many different men-
tal disorders. Effectively managing stress hinges upon a
healthy lifestyle makeover.
I have since discovered that
by effectively managing my
own stress, the effects of my illness have diminished significantly. I will be honest and
admit that self-management is
plenty of work and it is timeconsuming. It has involved my
complete commitment to the
following life changes:
Regular Relaxation
I have found that deep muscle
relaxation, visualizations, and
meditation allow me to attain a
relaxed state very quickly and,
most importantly, on demand.
Learning to relax was essential
for me. I have become skilled at
taking the ‘10-minute vacation.’
Medical Compliance
Like anyone else initially caught
up in the psychiatric soup, I
had to experiment with new
medications. I remember that
these were the bad times, and I
endured many setbacks before
finding the right mix, at least
the one that is working for now.
After all that work, it only
makes sense for me now to
stick with the program. I have
had to accept that I will be
taking pills until the day that I
die. Maybe then, I’ll be afforded the time for a break from
routine!
Regular Exercise
Stress pumps us up with very
powerful agents, giving us the
abilities to fight and/or run for
our lives. These stress hormones
are produced with the intention that they be used, so to do
nothing with them will leave
them in our systems for too
long, where they will become
unhealthy and eventually toxic. I now vigorously exercise
two to three times a week so
that I can burn off these chemicals in a socially acceptable
manner — because fighting or
running away is usually inappropriate these days. My re-
wards have been fairly simple,
too. I end up feeling pretty good
afterwards, both physically and
emotionally.
Self-Management
Healthy Diet
Eating good food has made a
real difference for me as well.
Problem-Solving Skills
There is a moment in time between any stimulus and our reaction to it. We can learn to
recognize that moment and use
it to our advantage. We can
change our interactions with the
things that are bothering us.
Now that’s enviable control!
Strong, Individualized
Support Networks
The people in my network are
those who I can trust and confide in completely. They know
me when I am well and outwardly recognize changes in me
that might be signaling early
trouble.
In my old life, I was ill prepared
for the toll that stress takes. I
have since learned how to harness that stress and in turn, selfmanage my illness. I am once
again happy and gainfully employed. I am now able to reach
out and offer help to others
seeking change; either before
or after their own near breakdowns.
No. 18/Summer 2003
21
Self-Control and
Bipolar Mood Disorder
‘W
take it because of that first phase
e have diagnosed you
of feeling ‘flat’ or drugged out.
with bipolar mood dis- God, grant me the serenity to
However, after a month on lithorder…’ so began the doctor’s
first words to me upon our sec- accept the things I cannot change, ium, I found that my normal
emotions returned and the roond meeting. His words were the courage to change the things
botic mood subsided.
both a revelation and a douI can, and the wisdom to know
n
Recognize the symptoms
ble-fisted punch in the face.
and take appropriate action.
On the one hand, the dis- the difference.
— Reinhold Niebuhr
Have an emergency plan ready
covery of this illness means it
to implement when you are bepartly explains why I had ‘procoming ill. Since I have been
gressed’ through so many jobs.
diagnosed with bipolar disorOn the other hand, it was inider, I have read several books
tially a shock to my identity.
and numerous pamphlets on
While I won’t go into emthis subject. I speak to doctors,
barrassing details, it appears to
nurses and social workers as well
me that my erratic behaviour
as friends and family, in order
and poor judgement led to
to get their sense of my mood. I
some job losses. The good news
also monitor my own mood.
is that after several years of strugFor instance, I sometimes exgle, I have been correctly diagperience a mixed mood where
nosed and can now take steps
I feel irritable and snappish to
to deal with the illness.
people, almost to the point of
Bipolar illness or manic-derage. Knowing this, when I speak to someone in person, I try
pressive illness is a disorder in which an individual experiences
to look them in the eye and speak calmly. I try to see a human
extreme mood swings. The individual can be happy or experibeing rather than a target for my rage. Mostly, this action
ence elevated moods, and also experience low and depressive
succeeds, for the rage is only a temporary feeling. Also, I
states. It is estimated that one to two per cent of the population
speak to the doctor about getting my medication adjusted.
suffers from some form of bipolar disorder.1
The most extreme cases of elation and increased activity are n Another way to maintain self-control that’s worked for me is
to listen to motivational tapes, such as the ones by Og Mandescribed by the term mania. Some symptoms of mania are:
dino, Anthony Robbins and Steven Covey. The latter in his
n euphoric or elevated mood
tape, The power of the seven habits, notes that an effective
n increased energy
person is proactive and takes responsibility for their life. One
n decreased need for sleep
is not a product of their genetic makeup, even though it may
n irritability
be a powerful influence.
n lack of inhibitions
n accelerated thinking, usually accompanied by
In summary, there can be a number of ways to manage bipolar
lack of judgement
disorder. Drug therapy, counseling and mood disorder support
n grandiose thoughts2
groups are only some of the ways to combat this illness, but
While we cannot be in complete control of how we behave, I bipolar illness can be effectively managed using the kinds of
believe we can be in better control of our emotions. Some ways strategies that have worked for me.
that help me maintain self-control are:
n Reducing stressors that trigger symptoms. Stressors can be
any number of variables that can trigger an incident: coffee,
the amount of work that has to be done daily, time limits, footnotes
and so forth.
1
DePaulo, J. R. (2002). Understanding depression. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
n Taking medicine regularly and in the correct dosage. Many
relapses occur because the person stops taking the medicine! 2 Bartha, C., Kitchen, K., Parker, C. & Thomson, C. (2001). Depression and bipolar disorder: Family
psychoeducational group manual. Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
When I first starting taking lithium, I was tempted not to
Self-Management
Erika
Erika is in her early
fourties, from the Lower
Mainland, and has
recently been diagnosed
with bipolar disorder
No. 18/Summer 2003
22
My Path to Wellness
From Psychotic Depression to Recovery
things that are not true. I lived in a haze of medications and
nothing was helping. I was obsessed with taking my life. As a last
resort, they gave me shock treatment.
I was not ready to face the outside world. I was terrified. I
had lost my entire identity. There was no me; I didn’t exist, but
I must have existed to suffer so. This confused, disoriented state
of depression mixed with psychosis went on and on.
I was quite heavily medicated, but the psychotic states did
finally come to an end. Actually, the craziness of psychosis was
easier to handle than the hell of depression because I wasn’t
connected to reality — and reality hurt.
Reality continued to hurt for seven years as the depression
lingered on. There were periods of relief every so often. It wasn’t
non-stop torment anymore.
Part 2: Freedom Through Self-Management
Debbie Sesula Part 1: Enslaved by Mental Illness
BA, RTC The year is 1988. I was just your average university student
Debbie is President of
the White Rock/South
Surrey branch of the
Canadian Mental Health
Association
struggling through, determined to get my Bachelor of Arts (BA)
degree. Being in my last year, I had high hopes for the future and
nothing was going to get in the way. Or so I thought.
Life was about to change drastically. I began to find it almost
impossible to face another day. The inner pain was getting worse.
I felt so inadequate, unworthy and unwanted. It was all so overwhelming. I barely attended classes, I was doing lousy on my
exams, and I didn’t even bother doing my oral presentations. I
was totally unable to express how I felt; all I could do was cry and
withdraw. I felt so alone. That aloneness was the most painful that gap between me and the rest of the world. The fear of being
alone like this forever was agonizing. I was trapped. It was all so
hopeless. Exhaustion overtook me, as it took every ounce of
strength I had just to do the simplest things like taking a shower
or brushing my teeth. Nobody knew the torment that was going on inside of me; outwardly, I appeared perfectly normal. I
didn’t care anymore and I certainly didn’t feel like living. I became more and more withdrawn. If I wasn’t crying, I was tossing
and turning, trying to sleep. I was on edge and everything irritated me. There was so much turmoil inside that I thought I
would go crazy. My mind was dying and I wanted to die with it.
Despite the turmoil I was experiencing, I did graduate and received my BA degree in Psychology.
After a series of unsuccessful suicide attempts, I was hospitalized a number of times. The turmoil continued. The suicidal
thoughts didn’t end. The depression and anxiety just kept getting worse and worse. I then went into a psychotic depression.
Psychosis basically means disconnecting from reality. I suffered
from hallucinations, which is seeing or hearing things that aren’t
really there, and I suffered from delusions which is believing in
Gradually, I started to think and feel in a more rational way.
Maybe life did have some possibilities; maybe there was hope
after all. I felt ready to get going in life and to fight to get over
any obstacles that got in my way. It started feeling like the war
was coming to an end. Life was worth living after all.
How did I ever get to this state of thinking that life was now
worth living? It’s hard for me to say what really helped. One
thing I do know: time was the most important healer. I know,
that’s what people always say, “Oh, you’ll be fine, just give it
time.” But that is so true; it was vital that I was allowed time.
Then there were the countless talks, the encouraging words,
people reaching out to me, being firmly challenged, a lot of hard
work on my behalf. Most important was that people didn’t give
up and they continued to believe in me even though I didn’t.
Therapy, support groups, psychiatric outpatient programs,
clubhouse activity and medication also played an important role
in my recovery. During the crises, having respite in a residential
facility known as CRESST (Community Residential Emergency
Short Stay and Treatment) helped me to feel safe and taken care
of. Having supported subsidized housing was what kept me
connected and what took away the worry about having a decent
roof over my head. Taking part in an employment training program was a major turning point for me in that I was able to learn
new skills, utilize skills I already had and take the risks needed to
enter back into the workforce.
Another major turning point for me was going into private,
one-to-one counseling. I was willing to put forth the effort no
matter how much it cost. Throughout my seven years with the
public mental health system, I made very minimal progress. I
remember being told that I would be mentally ill forever, that I
would never be able to work and that I would be on medication
for life. Not so! Throughout my two years of intensive counseling, I progressed in leaps and bounds. I learned that I had a
purpose, that I had needs like everyone else and had the right to
meet those needs, that I could be in control of my life despite
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
having a mental illness, that I was responsible for my behaviour.
I also I learned to empower myself instead of giving my power
away. I worked hard at recovering and my efforts paid off. One
cannot put a monetary value on that. I had a counsellor who
would not give up on me and continued to believe in me.
Later, I went on to pursue my Reality Therapy Certification,
because I wanted to give to others what was given to me. Two
more major leaps occurred in my life. First, I switched from
supported subsidized housing to regular subsidized housing
through BC Housing, in which one’s rent is based on 30% of
their income. Second, since 2001, I have been working parttime and am off of disability benefits. I still struggle with psychiatric symptoms but nothing like before. Now I know what
to do to nip things in the bud. How do I maintain my recovery?
For me, it’s all about self-management and balance. Self-man-
23
agement for me is about being aware of what I need to stay
mentally healthy, such as knowing when to say ‘no’, putting
aside one day a week as a ‘me’ day to spend as I wish, knowing
when to ask for help, challenging my mind by learning something new each year, not taking life so seriously, having two cats
and doing things I love such as traveling. Balance for me is about
eating healthily, exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep, decreasing stress, having positive and supportive people in my life,
consciously choosing positive thinking, meeting my needs every
day, laughing and carpe diem (latin for ‘seize the day!’).
The mind really is so fragile and complex. No one is exempt
from a broken mind. It can happen to anyone. But there can be
healing and recovery. It is just so refreshing to remember where
I was and to think where I am today.
OCTOBER 9, 2003 | 1-866-917-HOPE
More than 50 sites will be set up around BC to help you learn
more about the signs and types of depression, how treatable it is,
and the range of supports in your community that can help you
or a loved one. You can also fill out a short quiz on depression
symptoms and meet with a clinician to discuss the results. The
event is free, confidential and anonymous.
Provincial funding for this
event provided by the BC
Ministry of Health Services
Thank you
also to our
corporate and
media sponsors
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
24
ALTERNATIVES AND APPROACHES
Helping Myself to Help Myself
Tips for Self-Management of
Eating Disorder Symptoms
Tannis Hugill
MA, RCC, RDT, ADTR
Tannis is a registered
clinical counsellor and
registered dance and
drama therapist, with a
private practice in
Vancouver. She is also an
artist-in-residence for the
Vancouver School Board,
where she uses dance and
drama to teach healthy
body image
I
am a therapist who works
with people dealing with
disordered eating. A major part
of my work with clients is to
help them discover ways to
manage what seems like a flood
of urges to binge, compulsions
to purge and fears of getting
uncontrollably fat. People suffering from disordered eating
often feel out of control, as if
their symptoms have taken over
their minds, their bodies and
their spirits. Part of the difficulty is that sometimes the
symptoms are felt to be an enemy, and sometimes a friend.
There can be a lot of ambivalence towards giving in to the
symptoms, and this contributes
to the struggle.
It is important to view eating disorder behaviours, whatever they may be, as simply that:
behaviours, or actions that have
become an habitual way of dealing with the painful feelings
and experiences of life. They are
patterns that have become coping tools, serving a protective
function. They are also actions
that create a cycle of destruction
and pain on their own. Those
that seek treatment discover this
and wish to find a way into true
health, peace and loving selfcare. In some way, eating disorder symptoms are an effort to
do just that, but were developed
when the individual just didn’t
know any better.
Viewing symptoms in this
way can lessen the shame and
guilt bound up with the symptoms’ patterns. Instead, they
can be seen as signals, alerting
us to a need that is not being
met. Unmet needs cause difficult feelings. When these are
numbed out by symptoms, the
needs and feelings remain unconscious. One feels continually unsatisfied, empty, hungry
— without knowing why.
Through the strengths of
creativity and body awareness,
one can gain a friendly relationship to the experience of the
self in one’s body. This is vital:
our bodies are our homes,
where all of our memories and
emotions live. They can be creative resources, through which
the world is experienced — in
pleasure as well as pain. One
can practice taking a few deep
breaths, and scan the body for
information, noticing areas of
comfort and discomfort, while
being attentive to the feelings,
images, thoughts, memories,
and associations that are connected with these. When there
is a thought or impulse to enact a symptom, one can take a
moment to slow the reaction
down, to discover what is going on underneath and get
some clues as to what is needed. Even if, after a while, the
symptom is used, the cycle has
our bodies are our homes, where
all of our memories and
emotions live. They can be
creative resources, through
which the world is experienced
— in pleasure as well as pain.
Self-Management
been interrupted. This is a victory that proves other choices
can be made.
Often, symptoms mask a
need to be soothed, and to feel
safe. One can create lists of activities that are pleasurable,
calming, and easy to do. For
some it may be writing in a journal or talking to a friend. For
others it might be going for a
walk, cleaning the closet, renting a video, petting the cat, taking a bath or having a shower.
Meditative activities that
quiet the body and the mind,
such as a daily sitting or walking meditation may be helpful
to lower long-felt anxiety which
makes all other emotions harder to tolerate.
Maintaining a daily journal
of symptom triggers can be
useful. List the time, place, activity, people and feelings connected with the triggers on one
side — and the chosen, helpful activity used on the other.
This serves as a record of what
works to manage the symptoms
and teaches that the symptoms
are not in control.
Recovering from disordered
eating is a process of learning
that takes time. There are many
rewards. Through the process,
true self-knowledge can be
gained — based on a connection to one’s deep strengths,
and trust that eating disorder
symptoms are not necessary for
survival. When one no longer
feels impaired by the wounds
underlying the complex of eating disorders, life becomes an
unfolding story in which love
and acceptance of self can be
known, and shared with freedom — at last.
No. 18/Summer 2003
25
Practical Mindfulness
Tending the Mind and Spirit to Mend the Mood
I
’m sitting cross-legged on my pale green comforter, staring
at the TV. Someone, a woman, with too much lipstick and
stark, penciled-in eyebrows squeaks about the greatest buy
shoppers could ever hope for on the Shopping Channel.
I notice a familiar feeling sinking into my chest, dawning
into a heaviness in my arms, trailing into my legs. What I fear
and respect most begins to show its edges: depression.
I have learned, thank God, that this doesn’t mean I must
spiral out of control, and descend under its darkness. I have
learned if I gently invite these demons in for tea, the power they
threaten to hold over me dissolves.
I have learned this through the art of mindfulness.
Mindfulness is loving all
the details of our lives.
– Pema Chodron, author and teacher, When things fall apart 1
A nanny ‘minds’ a baby. With tenderness and care, she attends to the needs of a wee, bright being. So, too, does the
practice of mindfulness. At its most basic, mindfulness is observing what is happening in the present moment.
Practical mindfulness, what I use to travel through the emotional storms of my mood disorder, involves something more: a
purposeful, ‘unconditional friendliness’ and awareness towards
the inner goings-on of my mind, the subtle shifts in my emotions and body — ideally, just as microscopic changes from
normal mood into depression begin.
Under this warm light of watching, unspoken, almost unbelievable, transformations start to take place.
Mindfulness…teaches how to
make simple yet radical shift(s) in
our relationship to our thoughts,
feelings and bodily sensations that
contribute to depressive relapse.
– Jon Zabot-Zinn
Often associated with Insight or Vipassana meditation, a tradition dating back two and a half thousand years, this awareness
of mood, mind and matter is easily practiced, with or without
the Buddhism that is at its roots.
“Mindfulness [in relation to preventing depression],” explains Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, founding director of Mindfulness
Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), “is based on the meditative
view that change and health come about through acceptance of
whatever is happening, no matter how painful, frightening or
undesirable.” “Acceptance,” he notes, “does not mean resignation, but actively coming to terms with things as they are and
learning creative ways of working with one’s situation.”
I am still sitting, knees aching, back sore, on the bed. I have
been slumped here for over three hours. Self-reproach, for reasons unknown, begins to surface. My thoughts slow and become menacing. I am wary but watchful.
I inhale; focus on the rise and fall of my tummy and chest,
trying to be aware, without judgement, of the whir of meanspirited feelings and thoughts within. This is not easy.
People, in general, often find it difficult to be self-loving. This
is a massive understatement when fighting depression. Self-acceptance, at this point, I can barely remember, let alone practice.
Gradually, as you remain open and
mindful…you begin to feel well in
your own skin. From this comes
release and a profound ease.
– Sogyal Rinpoche, teacher
Victoria Maxwell
BFA, BPP*
* BFA: Bachelor of Fine Arts
BPP: Bi-Polar Princess
Victoria is a mental health
educator, consultant, actor
and writer. Her onewoman show, Crazy for
Life, and her Creating
Optimism: Reducing
Depression in the
Workplace program is
presented to audiences
and corporations across
BC and Canada
You can contact
the author at
victoriamaxwell@telus.net
Managing a mood disorder requires us to know what our
‘fingerprint’ of warning signs looks like. Because mindfulness
asks us to note even the slightest change in mood, it offers a
straightforward tool to do so.
I shuffle towards the kitchen: dirty plates piled high, coffee
stains, bits of dried spinach shellac the tiles. A relentless “I’m so
stupid… *#%!… I’m such a loser… I’m so stupid… *#%!… I’m
such a loser…” a familiar loop of potentially crippling remarks.
I observe the thoughts and feelings and the throngs that
follow them, as they dart and pinch the corners of my mind.
I try to do what I’ve been taught; see them just as they are:
simply thoughts and feelings. Not facts about who I am or edicts
of what I’m worth.
But they seem so real. Feel utterly convincing. I hear myself
scream inside. I inhale, slowly, again. They are simply thoughts
and feelings passing through me. Nasty, mean, horrible ones,
but just thoughts and feelings. Not the truth. Not me.
I can make them real by believing the story they tell me or by
wrestling them into momentary submission. Either way, I lose
my centre and therefore lose myself. And I become vulnerable to
the onslaught of a full depressive episode. I practice seeing these
demons and basement dwellers with child-like curiosity.
“Look at that,” I think, “isn’t that interesting: Self-Hate?
Hmm. And Jealousy, huh? Interesting.” They are characters pitching camp from time to time inside my head.
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
26
Bipolar Self-Management
Program Review
S
Dana
elf-management programs
are based on a comprehensive knowledge about one’s
condition, its treatment and
medication, and based on
developing ways to get and
keep well in the long run in the
face of life’s everyday challenges. They are an attempt to
counter philosophies such as
that of Elizabeth Miller’s psychiatrist who told her upon discharge from the hospital: “You
will not know when you are ill;
only I will be able to tell you
that. You won’t know what you
are feeling; only I will know.”
This article reviews the
work of several authors who
realized the value of a consum-
er-driven approach to recovery, starting with an approach
developed by Miller herself.
This approach stems from the
premise that people should gain
control over their illness by
managing it responsibly.
Elizabeth Miller
There are four crucial components to Miller’s approach. First
of all, the person needs information and a peer support network. Secondly, the individual
needs to learn to recognize the
warning signs and triggers of
the illness, both generic and
individual in character, then
needs to develop a plan for the
onset of symptoms in coopera-
tion with health professionals.
Finally, there is the task of maintaining good mental health
overall through monitoring of
one’s mood swings and symptoms, getting feedback from
friends and relatives, having a
healthy diet and exercise regime, as well as maintaining
proper sleep patterns. As Miller says, “Not everyone wants
to take responsibility for their
illness, but just about everyone
benefits from more information.” Willpower and perseverance help people learn more
and apply the knowledge for
their own benefit. For more,
see www.primhe.org/downloads/
journal/vol_001 and2/miller.pdf
Manic Depression
Fellowship
The Self-Management program of the Manic Depression
Fellowship (in the UK) is a sixweek program of three-hour
sessions led by people with bipolar disorder. In the first two
weeks, participants learn to recognize the nature of their illness and what impact it has on
their lives. Half way through
the course, the sessions centre
on learning about triggers and
warning signs by keeping a
mood diary. Other topics addressed at this stage include
self-medication, building support networks, and making action plans. The last two weeks
Practical Mindfulness (cont’d from prev. page)
footnotes
1
2
Chodron, P. (1997). When things
fall apart. Boston: Shambhala
Publications.
Segal Z., Teasdale J., & Williams
M. (2002). Mindfulness-based
cognitive therapy for depression.
Guilford Press.
By fostering this ‘witness’ perspective, I start to see a way out.
Mindfulness has the extraordinary ability to shift distortion into
discernment. Thoughts and feelings, which normally send me
into tailspins, now rest in neutrality. I gain objectivity leading to
new, more adaptive choices and healthier self-talk.
Mindfulness offers a precious split second between feelings
and reactions. In this flash of time, reactions can be habitual, or
new responses can occur. Feelings of inadequacy and anxiety do
not magically evaporate. But they cease to intensify as quickly
and fade more rapidly.
It takes practice to stay awake to these emotions, to refuse to
flee, fight or freeze. I have learned this skill over time — years to
be exact. Mindfulness is cultivated, not innate.
Practicing this art daily, even when things are going well,
increases clarity and compassion and well-being unfolds.
Mindfulness is not a substitute for medication and intelligent cognitive therapy. It is however, one of my most potent
power tools to maintain recovery and prevent relapse.
In repeated studies, MBCT “substantially reduce(s) the risk
of relapse in those who had three or more previous episodes of
depression (from 66% to 37%).”2
I’m at the sink. I step back in my mind, start rinsing the
sticky bowls and allow thoughts of self-hate and self-deprecation float in and move about as they wish — noticing these
disorderly characters jostling for attention. Literally.
I just watch, with as much patience, as much kindness, as I
can muster — which at this point, isn’t a lot. I swish the soapy
dishcloth over the lip of a travel mug, and the cruel thoughts
and mean-spirited emotions begin, ever so slightly, to soften.
A therapist I worked with taught me to mentally catalogue
my thinking patterns, and note the most common themes. Anxiety and self-loathing? Despair and disdain? Then, like a teacher
with an unruly class take role call.
“Ah yes…Despair … oh, and Audacity and Arrogance.
Hmm… isn’t that interesting. Haven’t seen these scalawags in a
while.” And so the watching goes.
Because practical mindfulness at its best is without judgment and full of loving-kindness, it teaches me to embrace my
humanness — awkwardness and all — to welcome home my
quirks, my warts, my diamond-like beauty: the masterful beauty
and warts we all have, and we all try to hide.
This arms-wide-open position allows me to hold all my aspects: those I hate, and those I love. Even when I refuse to be
kind to myself, and demand that I berate myself and whip myself into perfection, this too I can watch. With perhaps less
warmth, but still I can watch. And slowly, just as dark turns to
dawn, more light creeps in, despite myself.
related resources
n
n
Chodron, P. (2002). The places that scare you. Boston: Shambhala Publications.
Williams, M. (2002). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and the prevention of relapse in
depression. Online at www.rcpsych.ac.uk/college/sig/spirit/publications/williams.pdf
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
address developing a lifestyle
that promotes good mental
health. This involves developing personal awareness and
maintaining a daily routine —
just to name a few of the topics
discussed. Active participation
in the sessions is encouraged,
and the program is accompanied by exercises that are done
on an individual or group basis. Positive outcomes achieved
with this approach include reduction of participants’ negative attitudes towards the past,
as well as reduction of suicidal
thoughts and difficulty with
concentration. Participants in
the program also tend to feel
more in control of their illness
as well as more involved in the
treatment offered to them by
their clinicians. For more, see
www.mdf.org.uk/services/smt.html
Wellness Recovery
Action Plan
Mary Copeland’s book Living
without depression and manic
depression3 is a practical workbook that shows that it is possible to live with this disorder
through information, acceptance and conscious change. By
gaining confidence in one’s
knowledge of the disorder, and
about what treatments and
medications work best, the individual is able to prepare not
only for a relapse situation, but
also for long-term management
of the illness within the person’s
social networks. The workbook
offers practical examples of
questions to ask the doctor and
things to know about conditions that might look like bipolar disorder. It also deals with
issues such as the value of receiving and giving peer support, the advantages of
developing a lifestyle that enhances wellness, coming to
terms with the past, and getting the most out of counseling.
Numerous charts offer suggestions of how to track one’s
moods, how to change nega-
tive thoughts into positive ones,
or what actions to take to avert
a relapse.
Copeland’s concept of
WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) provides a simple
system for monitoring and
managing emotional and psychiatric symptoms, as well as
avoiding unhealthy habits or
behaviour patterns. In order to
arrest symptoms and hasten remission and recovery, people
both learn and share personal
strategies for dealing with each
level of relapse. For more, see
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
that it is possible to break away
from the inevitability of the illness, take charge of the course
of life, and to work on getting
oneself out of the trenches and
back into the social networks
that are so valuable for the people who live with this illness.
All of the programs listed have
a common underlying message:
27
footnotes
1
Miller, E. (1999).“Self-management
in manic depression.” Journal of
Primary Care Mental Health, 2.
2
Harris, A. (2000).“Self-managing
manic depression.” Mental Health
Care, 31(8), 274-5.
3
Copeland, M.E. (1994). Living
without depression and manic
Depression. Oakland, CA: New
Harbinger Publications.
Hearing Voices
that are not Real
Advice for Consumers and
Those who Want to Help
H
earing voices that are not real can be a distressing experience, both for the person that hears
voices and for those who want to help. Understanding the experience of hearing voices has
been stifled by the traditional psychiatric approach, but thankfully there are resources now
available to those who hear voices and those who want to help — resources that are the result of
new approaches to the task of understanding and managing voices that are distressing.
The conventional psychiatric response to voices (otherwise known as auditory hallucinations)
once sought to deny, suppress and ignore voices. It was believed that only people with schizophrenia heard voices. It was believed that voices made no sense, could not be understood, and
therefore that there was nothing that could be done about them if they did not respond to
medication. Furthermore, it was believed that talking about voices could only make them worse.
Engagement of the voices was emphatically discouraged, on the theory that to engage the voices
was a kind of buying in to the hearer’s delusional fantasies. The result of this approach was to
further isolate the significant minority of voice-hearers who do not respond to medication or those
who find medication intolerable.
For those who hear voices, one thing is clear: that voices can have a great deal of control over
the person who hears them. Also, voices do make sense in that they often reflect issues that a
person has in their life — and the voices can have a lot of power. As a result of this increased
awareness, new approaches to coping with voices help the voice-hearer take control and gain
understanding and power over the voices and their disruptive effects.
Contrary to the belief that only people with schizophrenia hear voices is the acceptance that
hearing voices is a relatively common experience, and under certain conditions of duress (such as
sensory deprivation, lack of sleep, or with drug use) anyone can have the experience of hearing
voices. Have you ever heard your name spoken, only to turn your head and discover that no
one is there? It is a starting point to understanding the experience of hearing voices and of being
able to help.
Patricia Deegan has a PhD in clinical psychology and has heard voices most of her life. With
the National Empowerment Center (NEC), a US-based consumer-run organization, she has
developed the Hearing voices that are distressing curriculum for mental health professionals, a
component of which replicates the experience of hearing voices in a simple but effective way.
Participants wear headphones and listen to an audiotape that runs as they undertake a series of
tasks, including social interaction and cognitive tests. The result is a dramatic experience of what
it must be like to try to function as the voices are active.
Another resource, Understanding voices: A guide for family or friends, provides written guidelines for those who want to help but may be unsure of what to do. The full guide, which includes
Self-Management
Cynthia Row
Cynthia lives in Vancouver
and has a background in
freelance writing and
broadcasting. She is also
Editorial Assistant for
Visions
No. 18/Summer 2003
28
demanding voices that you want control of your own
life; realize that despite what the voices are saying, they
are a part of you, so you are in charge, and no harm will
come to you when you don’t listen to them.
Engage in non-stressful, distracting activity such as gardening, listening to music etc., when the voices come on.
Experiment with ways of diminishing the voices, for example, by ‘shadowing’ the voices, that is by whispering the
content of the voices under your breath, or by humming
when the voices come on.
— Jim Willow, MD, Psychiatric Resident, PsycHealth Centre (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Avoid unhelpful strategies, such as
 passive activities (e.g., watching TV)
 arguing with the voices
 self-medication
a useful guide of dos and don’ts for caregivers can be found
 social isolation
online at www.nsfscot.org.uk/text/fifetext.htm
While Hearing voices training and other resources are useful Make use of resources that suggest strategies and networks
that connect voice-hearers.
tools for caregivers, a significant amount of progress has been also
been made in developing coping strategies directly for those who
hear voices. Advances have been made especially by European Hopefully, the advice and resources in this article go some way
researchers in the field of cognitive-behavioural therapy, and by toward achieving their aim, that is, to make the lives of those
who hear voices easier and better understood.
networks of people who hear voices themselves.
This work has resulted in a number of potentially helpful
strategies for people who hear voices that are distressing. In
general, these approaches to managing voices involve the aware- related resources
ness of, tracking, and engagement of the voices in a way that Understanding voices (fact sheet) – This site features a fact sheet developed by UK
cognitive psychologist David Kingdon, based on his research in this area. The fact sheet was
improves one’s control over them. Suggestions that individuals
one of the sources for the strategies described in this article: www.schizophrenia.co.uk/backcan try, with the support of their treatment team, include:
ground/Understanding_ Voices/understanding_voices.html
Accept that the voices belong to you, and are not an external Hearing voices (fact sheet) – A helpful resource on dealing with voices,developed by the UK’s
Mental Health Foundation: www.mentalhealth.org.uk/page.cfm?pagecode=PMAMHV
force that can read your mind or steal your thoughts. In the
process of developing your own point of view and taking Hearing voices that are distressing (curriculum program) – The curriculum and tapes
can be ordered through the NEC Store link on the NEC website at www.power2U.org. This
responsibility for yourself, an important and difficult first
website is also an excellent source of information for consumers and professionals.
Accepting voices (book) – Marius Romme and Sandra Escher have published coping
step is to take ownership of the voices.
strategies after years of listening to the experiences of voice-hearers. Their book is called
Get to know the voices by keeping a diary, so that you can know
Accepting Voices (1993) and can be ordered from MIND Publications, Granta House, 15-19
when the voices come on and what might trigger them.
Broadway House, London, E5 England (ISBN #18874690138). Online ordering at www.
mind.org.uk/osb/showitem.cfm/Category/104
Make a contract with the voices, perhaps allotting a specific
time when you will listen to them. In this approach, the Making sense of voices (book) – Romme and Escher have also published a recent title (2000)
called Making Sense of Voices: A guide for mental health professionals working with voice-hearers,
voice-hearer exerts some control over the voices and lessens
which would also be helpful for voice-hearers themselves. Online ordering at www.mind.org.
uk/osb/itemdetails.cfm/ID/138 or via mail at the MIND address listed above
their impact.
I recently participated in the Hearing voices
training. I must confess, I was disturbed by the
sudden realization that I have been treating
schizophrenia for four years, yet I’ve never known
what it really was. I may have had the knowledge,
but not the wisdom or true empathy until now.
Checking
Things Out
A Tool for the Consumer
Punkaj Bhushan
Punkaj is on the Board of Directors for the
BC Schizophrenia Society. He has made many
presentations relating his experiences with
schizophrenia and his methods of managing the illness.
He has a wife and two children and lives in Surrey.
Tell
Medications, while extremely
valuable in treating mental illness, often still leave a number
of symptoms of psychosis still
present. Medications are also in
the control of the treating physician. But what is in our control
as mental health consumers?
People with schizophrenia
still have problems with their
interpretations of events, such
as conversations or another
person’s body language. Recent
research suggests the frontal
lobe functions in a person with
schizophrenia are impaired. The
frontal lobe is involved with the
Self-Management
complex work of reading and
interpreting body language.
I have found an invaluable
tool to keep my thoughts on an
even keel so that I can continue
to work at a job and to keep my
relationships healthy. I call this
process, ‘checking things out.’
What I do is, when I come
home from work, I relate all my
experiences during the day, to
my wife, Anoo, and she comments on my version of what
happened: my interpretations.
This time allows us to share
and have quality time. She
also relates her day and what
No. 18/Summer 2003
29
Evidence-Based Treatments
for Alcohol Problems
Brief Interventions
P
roblems involving alcohol are common, and take on a
variety of forms. Numerous interventions for alcohol
problems have been devised over the years, and the evidence supporting different treatments varies. Since 1980, Miller and colleagues have published a series of increasingly rigourous,
systematic reviews of the alcohol treatment literature.
In their latest review,1 a total of 381 studies were identified,
representing 99 different treatment modalities and involving
over 75,000 clients. A number of the findings are provocative.
For example, the majority of treatments for alcohol problems
have little or no evidence of effectiveness. More troubling, the
treatments with the strongest evidence are the ones that are least
available in practice, and the most commonly available forms of
treatment are those with the least scientific support. In the authors’ words:
The negative correlation between scientific evidence and treatment-as-usual remains striking, and could hardly be larger if
one intentionally constructed treatment programs from those
approaches with the least evidence of efficacy.
But there is also good news. Specifically, a number of treatments
have repeatedly been found effective, presenting a range of evidence-based options that benefit clients. The most effective
therapies include motivational enhancement, bibliotherapy
(reading- or workbook-based interventions), and other forms of
brief intervention. In general, brief interventions place considerable emphasis on self-directed change, with minimal input
from professionals.
Thus far, the evidence supporting brief interventions for
Julian M. Somers
MSc, PhD, RPsych
Julian is a full-time member
in the Department of
Psychiatry at the University
of British Columbia. His
research interests include
telehealth and collaborative
care, as well as innovations
in the education and
development of health
professionals. Dr. Somers
has also conducted research
in the areas of addictions,
motivation for change, and
child and adolescent
mental health
alcohol problems is considerably stronger than the evidence for
all other forms of treatment to date. Brief interventions have
been used effectively for several target groups including youth,
hazardous drinkers, dependent problem-drinkers, and clients
who have not responded to other forms of treatment.
The effectiveness of brief interventions is good news for several
reasons. First, there is growing recognition that many problems
with alcohol do not involve severe dependence. Many people who
would not be considered alcoholics will nevertheless experience adverse impacts due to drinking. Brief interventions can be employed
effectively with a broad range of clients, including high-risk drink- You can contact
ers. Second, brief interventions can be used in the context of a the author at
stepped care approach. Rather than providing intensive treatment jsomers@interchange.ubc.ca
for all clients, stepped care approaches proceed gradually, beginning
with less intensive forms of treatment, increasing the intensity only
as needed. If the client responds to the less intensive step, then no
additional resources are required. This ties in with a third benefit of
Checking things out (cont’d)
happened, more to share than
anything else.
Often times, Anoo will disagree with my version and interpretation of what happened
and what the intentions of
colleagues at work were. This
allows me to put those interpretations in a holding pattern,
and I will say, “Ok, maybe my
beliefs are wrong and I do not
have to get worked up about
so and so…”
It is not that I totally dismiss
my beliefs, but I place enough
of a question mark behind them
to keep my mind in symbiosis
and not veering along the path
towards psychosis. This method really works like a charm. I
believe without it, I would probably be unable to work or help
my wife in raising our family.
It seems to me that most
people have varying success
with medications: sometimes,
they control most of the symptoms of schizophrenia and
sometimes they do not. But for
most people, proper medications — found through trial
and error — lifestyle adjust-
ments and the method of
checking things out will control the illness.
Unfortunately, people often do not want to relate their
innermost thoughts because of
shame and embarrassment that
the thoughts would be unacceptable to another human
being. People sometimes do not
even reveal their thoughts to
their doctor or psychiatrist.
This keeps people in a pattern
of distorted thinking and keeps
them out of touch with the reality that is generally accepted
by the rest of the world. Even
when you religiously take medication, you must develop the
habit of checking things out so
that you continue to get better.
I strongly feel many people
remain closed and isolated because they don’t get it in habit
of checking things out. This is
a way towards recovery and stability. Try it out and develop it
into your own tool. If you don’t
have a significant other, try it
with a family member or good
friend.
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
30
Stepped Care
Moving Beyond the Vision to the Evidence
John F. Anderson, MD Background
most appropriate (and cost-effective) level of care may range
from brief, non-intensive interventions that can be initiated
In 1997, a Canadian Psychiatby the family physician, to inric Association (CPA) and Colterventions requiring the coorlege of Family Physicians of
dinated, ongoing efforts of a
Canada (CFPC) combined task
range of professionals in addiforce released a joint discussion
tion to the family physician. As
paper entitled Shared mental
will be discussed later, many of
health care in Canada.1 The first
these interventions are consistauthor is Dr. Nick Kates, a psyent with the principles of selfchiatrist who has pioneered a
management. The concepts of
shared care approach between
shared care and stepped care are
the departments of psychiatry
also integral to the Chronic
Disease Prevention and ManEvidence-based Treatments for
agement approach, described
Alcohol Problems (cont’d from prev. page)
elsewhere in this edition of
brief interventions: cost-effectiveness. Brief interventions present a Visions.
rare opportunity in the current context of health reform: they are
both more effective than typical treatment and they are considera- Stepped Care and
bly less expensive. A fourth benefit relates to the fact that many Managing Mental
people with alcohol problems will drop out of treatment. Brief Health Problems
interventions allow providers to make a positive impact in one or For many persons with mental
two sessions, stimulating changes and increasing the likelihood that health problems, the family
the client will return for additional treatment if necessary.
physician’s office is the first
So if brief interventions are cost-effective, useful with a broad point of contact with the menrange of alcohol problems and have abundant empirical support, tal health system and, for many
then why aren’t they offered in practice? And what types of re- of these, the only contact. The
forms might help ensure that the most effective alcohol treat- high rate of contact between
ments are routinely available to people who need them? In many family physicians and people
areas of health care, coverage by health care plans is reserved for with mental health problems
treatments that reflect evidence-based practice. This is only now can be viewed as a window of
becoming true with respect to treatment of alcohol problems.
opportunity for family physiMany jurisdictions are currently working to better integrate cians to provide interventions
the treatment of alcohol problems with other relevant health serv- known to benefit those seekices, including mental health and primary health care. These re- ing assistance and care.
forms have the effect of broadening the base of practitioners who
In order to meet the needs
encounter alcohol problems and can provide care. For many health of as many people with mental
professionals, brief interventions will be appealing — first because health problems as possible, a
they work, and second because they can be introduced through stepped care approach to prian existing treatment relationship and do not necessarily require mary mental health care should
referral to a specialist. Clients and family members can also facili- include:
tate change by inquiring about treatment alternatives and the n entry-level prevention and
probability of success associated with different options.
treatment interventions,
Brief interventions are not a cure-all. However, they represuch as brief interventions
sent a currently-neglected component of treatment for alcohol
(described below)
problems, and warrant much greater attention by all parties con- n strategies to meet the needs
cerned with the welfare of problem drinkers. They also deserve
of those who don’t respond
consideration as the first step in a menu of evidence-based alterto initial interventions (ennatives from which problem drinkers may benefit.
hanced treatment)
Shared Care and
John is an Adjunct Professor Stepped Care
(appt. pending) with the
Department of Psychiatry,
Faculty of Medicine at the
University of British
Columbia. Dr. Anderson
can be reached by phone
about this article at (250)
952-2301 or by email at
John.Anderson@
gems3.gov.bc.ca
footnote
1
Hester, R.K. & Miller, W.R.
(2003). Handbook of
alcoholism treatment
approaches: Effective
alternatives. 3rd ed. Boston:
Allyn & Bacon. (p. 41).
and family medicine at McMaster University. The CPA/CFPC
shared care paper emphasizes the
importance of collaborative care
between psychiatrists and family physicians.
The concept of collaborative or shared care has evolved
to include the idea of stepped
care, i.e., that the level of intensity of care should be matched
to the complexity of the condition. Depending on complexity, and on other factors, the
Self-Management
n
aftercare strategies for those
patients who require longer
term follow-up and supervision
Entry-Level
Interventions
Entry-level prevention and
treatment interventions share
some of the following characteristics:
n minimally intrusive
n easy to implement
n relevant to a broad range of
mental health problems
n likely to be effective for
most people
n likely to generate a
population health benefit;
that is, it may benefit
groups of people, rather
than just individuals
n cost-effective
There is evidence in the medical literature that suggests that
the delivery of these interventions by family physicians can
be effective. Many of these options, such as those known as
brief interventions, are consistent with self-management principles and are aimed at helping
people build skills or motivation to remain healthy or deal
with symptoms outside of the
office setting. Some of the relevant findings include studies
showing that:
n the impact of family physician brief interventions on
both smoking cessation and
reductions in alcohol consumption can be substantial2,3
n a brief school-based intervention for children can produce durable reductions in
anxiety problems: a recent
Australian study found evidence of success in a child
and family-focused group
No. 18/Summer 2003
intervention for preventing
anxiety problems in at-risk
children through a range of
strategies, for instance, by the
young people developing
problem-solving skills for social situations.4 The intervention could be extended to
other settings including family physician offices.
Currently, the Cochrane Collaboration — an organization
dedicated to understanding
which interventions are evidence-based, or proven effective through rigourous studies
— is systematically reviewing
all studies examining brief psychological treatments for depression.5 Depending upon the
results of this review, the implementation of brief psychotherapeutic interventions —
such as manual-based selfmanagement interventions
based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy
(CBT) — could have a profound impact on the large
number of people receiving
treatment for depression from
family physicians. The Depression Self-Care Guide — see page
5 in this issue of Visions — is an
example of such a manual-based
self-management intervention,
also known as bibliotherapy.
Enhanced Treatment
A stepped care approach also
includes a strategy for targeting
enhanced treatment to those
patients who do not respond
to the initial simpler intervention(s). These approaches
also include self-managementrelated interventions, such as
psychoeducation. Some of the
relevant findings include:
n a recent study that reported
on a multifaceted program
targeting depressed individuals whose depressive
symptoms persisted six to
eight weeks after initiation
of antidepressant medication
by their primary care physi-
n
cians.6 Patients in the intervention group received enhanced education as well as
increased visits by a psychiatrist working in collaboration with the primary care
physician. The enhanced
treatment improved adherence to antidepressants, patient satisfaction with care,
and depressive outcomes
compared with usual care.
a review showing that a sequential or stepped approach
to the treatment of bulimia
may be as effective as standard cognitive-behavioural
treatment (CBT) and can
considerably reduce the
amount of therapist contact
required. In one study, patients who received a self-care
manual followed, if necessary, by a brief version of CBT
achieved similar outcomes to
those who received standard CBT.7
More research is required to
understand the needs of those
who don’t respond to initial
interventions. In some areas,
such as problem drinking, additional research is needed to
identify target groups most likely to benefit from brief interventions8 as well as to identify
individuals not responding to
treatment.9 In other areas, such
as eating disorders, more effective treatments are required for
those who fail to respond to
self-help and other brief, costeffective therapies.10
ing suicide through aftercare
and ongoing monitoring of
patients who have made attempts. Research cited above6
also indicates the importance of
the family physician in the ongoing management of depression, including the role of the
family physician in supporting
the development of self-management skills.
footnotes
1
2
3
4
5
Conclusion
Attention to evidence, some of
which is outlined above, should
assist in removing the obstacles
that interfere with making evidence-based interventions —
including those based on selfmanagement principles —
available to people with mental illness. The same evidence
should also provide an impetus to the necessary collaboration among health professionals
as they help people manage
their conditions.
31
6
7
8
9
10
11
B
Kates, N., Craven, M., Bishop, J., et al. (1997). Shared mental health care in
Canada. Ottawa: Canadian Psychiatric Association.
Silagy, C. & Ketteridge, S. (1999). “Physician advice for smoking cessation
(Cochrane Review).” The Cochrane Library, 4. Oxford: Update Software.
Kahan, M., Wilson, L. & Becker L. (1995). “Effectiveness of physician-based
interventions with problem drinkers: A review.” Canadian Medical Association
Journal, 152(6), 851-859.
Dadds, M.R., Holland, D.E., Laurens, K.R., et al. (1999). “Early intervention and
prevention of anxiety disorders in children: Results at 2-year follow-up.”
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67(1),145-50.
Hunot, V., Churchill, R., Corney, R. et al. (1999). “Brief psychological treatments
for depression (Protocol for a Cochrane Review).” The Cochrane Library, 4.
Oxford: Update Software.
Katon, W., Von Korff, M., Lin, E., et al. (1999). “Stepped collaborative care for
primary care patients with persistent symptoms of depression: A randomized
trial.” Archives of General Psychiatry, 56(12), 1109-15.
Treasure, J., Schmidt, U., Troop, N., et al. (1996). “Sequential treatment for
bulimia nervosa incorporating a self-care manual.” British Journal of
Psychiatry, 168(1), 94-8.
Drummond, D.C. (1997).“Alcohol interventions: Do the best things come in
small packages?” Addiction, 92(4), 375-9.
Breslin, F.C., Sobell, M.B. & Sobell, L.C. (1998). “Problem drinkers: Evaluation of
a stepped care approach.” Journal of Substance Abuse, 10(3), 217-32.
Wilson, G.T. (1999). “Cognitive behaviour therapy for eating disorders: Progress
and problems.” Behaviour Research and Therapy, 37(Suppl 1), S79-95.
Links, P.S., Balchand, K., Dawe I., et al. (1999).“Preventing recurrent suicidal
behaviour.” Canadian Family Physician, 45, 2656-60.
I
N
G O
Follow-up or Aftercare
Finally, stepped care defines a
role for family physicians in the
delivery of aftercare for patients
who require follow-up of a
mental health problem, such as
for people who have attempted suicide. The authors of a
recent review11 note the frequency of suicide attempts seen
in general practice, and conclude that family physicians
have a crucial role in prevent-
When you play bingo at Burnaby
Bingo Country, you help support
the work of CMHA BC Division in
our mission to promote the mental
health of all British Columbians
and change the way we view and
treat mental illness in BC.
Self-Management
Burnaby Bingo Country
Middlegate Mall
302-7155 Kingsway
(near Edmonds)
Burnaby BC
Tel: 604-523-1221
Open daily 11am to 11pm
No. 18/Summer 2003
32
REGIONAL PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES
Building Mental Health Literacy
The Mental Illness First Aid Course
Jonathan Oldman
Jonathan Oldman is the
Executive Director of
CMHA Vancouver/
Burnaby branch
For more information
about the timelines and
details of the proposal,
please contact Jonathan
at (604) 872- 4902.
P
eople in our communities who experience some
form of mental illness are often misunderstood. For
many, an interaction at the corner store, with a building
manager or police officer is accompanied by a sense of
being different, and with difficulty in being understood. This is
not because people are naturally unkind; it is simply that they
have not known or loved someone with a mental illness and
therefore have never learned how to recognize and then support
someone who may need an unfamiliar type of help.
According to research, poor mental illness literacy leads “to
delays in recognition and help-seeking, hinders public acceptance of evidence-based mental health care, and causes people
with mental disorders to be denied effective self-help and appropriate support from others in the community.”1
The Vancouver/Burnaby branch of CMHA is developing a
mental illness ‘first aid’ course, designed to address the issue of
stigma, communication and support when people with a mental illness interact with other community members. By utilizing
the skills and talents of contracted mental health professionals
and consumers already involved in the mental health community, the project seeks to help improve the mental illness literacy of
the general public, and particularly key community groups, services and organizations that are identified as having a regular and
critical contact with individuals with a mental illness. The project
is designed to replace introductory mental illness community
workshops that were presented by the branch only in response
to proactive requests.
1
Jorm, A.F. (2000). “Mental
health literacy: Public
knowledge and beliefs about
mental disorders.” British
Journal of Psychiatry, 177,
396-401. Quoted in Kitchener,
B.A. & Jorm, A.F. (2002).
“Mental health first aid
training for the public:
Evaluation of effects on
knowledge, attitudes and
helping behavior.” BMC
Psychiatry, 2(10). This project
proposal is based upon the
project Kitchener and Jorm
evaluated, as well as
CMHA’s own experiences in
Vancouver. Kitchener and
Jorm’s article is available at
www.biomedcentral.com/
1471-244X/2/10
The course is designed to be presented in a one-day interactive
workshop format, or in a three-part day format. The workshops
will be presented by a mental health professional, assisted by a
consumer. The mental health professional will have a para-medical or clinical designation, including experience with those who
have a severe or persistent mental illness. The consumer presenters are to have experience with the recovery model, to be actively
contributing to their own wellness, have knowledge of community resources and strong presentations skills. If some of these are
lacking, the person will need to have aptitude and willingness to
acquire the skills through training.
The course will be presented in three main sections: a) what
is mental illness?, b) communication and helping skills, and c)
resources:
What is mental illness? We will look at exploring the
myths and realities of mental illness, and the recognition and
reduction of stigma. Participants will learn the symptoms of
various mental illness diagnoses and groups, including dual
diagnosis, and also be introduced to some of the risk factors
and characteristics of mental illness.
Communication and helping skills will address the
communication challenges particular to mental illness, discuss strategies for effective communication with individuals
suffering from mental illness, and teach basic helping skills,
including giving effective feedback and support. The difference between helping and rescuing will be a focus, as well as
the issue of how to set and maintain boundaries.
Resources involves teaching participants how to identify
and access the appropriate resources and teaching community mapping, that is, knowing the local resources.
A
B
Program Goals
footnote
Format and Content
1To reduce stigma regarding mental illness
2To promote recognition of mental illness
improve the communication and helping skills of
3To
people and institutions interacting with individuals with
C
We are also working with a project steering group to examine
ways in which we can realistically provide follow-up support to
workshop participants, whether that be one-to-one advice about
how to handle situations, or organizational advocacy regarding
further training or policy development. The project is currently
under development and pilot workshops are expected to take
place in early 2004. The project is generously funded by the
Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, the United Way of the
Target Groups
The focus of the program is to identify and directly approach Lower Mainland, and Janssen Ortho Pharmaceuticals.
key target groups of workers, professionals and businesses that
interact on a regular basis with individuals with a mental illness.
Some key groups that the program could address include public
service workers (such as parks staff), and social service personnel
(such as income assistance staff ). These groups regularly come
into contact with people who have mental illness, and could
benefit from training about how to recognize mental illness,
how to be supportive, or how to connect people with the services they need.
mental illness
4To increase awareness and information regarding mental
illness services
5To increase acceptance of and support and participation in
a holistic, recovery-based approach to mental illness
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
33
‘Don’t Trust Anyone Over 30’
Youth Net Facilitates Mental Health Literacy
by Youth for Youth
on’t trust anyone over 30’
is a phrase coined long ago
by youth who had a hard time
believing anyone over that
magical age would understand
their dreams or fears. It’s a mantra that Youth Net Vancouver
(YNV) has taken to heart. The
original Youth Net Ottawa
model was created in 1995 after researchers found youth
were experiencing high levels
of stress, and were more likely
to turn to their peers than to
access clinicians or specialists.1
At a time when suicide is the
second-leading cause of death
among young people, Youth
Net’s model of peer-led discussions — focusing on mental
health and mental illness —
seemed to make a whole lot of
sense.
Since its launch in June
2002, YNV has facilitated over
90 discussion groups with
youth in Vancouver, going into
schools, community centres,
shelters — anywhere there are
youth. Our diverse team of
trained youth facilitators (aged
18-29) leads discussion groups
for younger youth (13-21) and
gets them talking about what
stresses them out, and the different ways they cope in their
day-to-day lives. Our goal is to
work towards de-stigmatizing
mental illness, while providing
a safe context for thinking
about different strategies that
will work for them in maintaining good mental health and
well-being. In keeping with the
peer support model, no one
over 30 is present during the
discussion groups without
consent, and confidentiality is
assured.2
To ensure that individuals
participating have support if
they are in crisis, YNV has
drawn together professionals
trained in dealing with young
people into a clinical safety net.
They are professionals who are
on call during the discussion
groups should a youth identify him or herself as being in crisis. In addition to the safety net,
our resource manual (given to
everyone in the groups) is a
compilation of resources in
Vancouver, evaluated by our
facilitators for their suitability
for youth. Not only do we want
to make it easier for youth to
talk about what stresses they’re
dealing with, we also want to
support them in accessing the
resources they need.
Knowing that sometimes
talking can only go so far, YNV
advocates for youth to take action around issues impacting on
their mental health. In partnership with the Self-Help
Resource Association’s youth
initiative, Kinex, youth are
provided with organizational
support and access to resources
(and some seed money) to start
a group, whether it’s to organize a queer youth conference,
start a hip hop dance class or a
sports group — the possibilities are endless — but the main
goal is taking action and building peer support networks,
both of which are important
components of mental health.
Youth Net has a transformative effect on the young
people who participate. When
I think about transformation, I
think of it beginning with the
‘aha!’ moment of realization
when a piece of the puzzle falls
into place that allows change
to happen, or at least helps
make more sense of the situation. I think about all the seemingly little ‘aha!’ moments that
have taken place for youth who
have participated in YNV discussion groups, because there
nect with youth, transforming
their lived experiences into
teaching tools to help guide
open and honest discussions of
what good mental health is all
about for folks under 30.
To me, the Youth Net discussion groups make a lot of
Amanda Walker
was a space to talk openly and
freely about mental health,
mental illness and coping strategies. I think about the youth
who reaches out through his or
her depression, because they finally feel supported and okay
with the idea of asking for help.
I think about a youth living
with a mental illness who hears
one of their peers say for the
first time, ‘yeah, I have a mental illness too,’ breaking their
bubble of isolation. I think
about youth who are challenged to rethink their assumptions and perceptions of mental
illness. And I think about YNV
facilitators who are able to con-
sense ... it’s not rocket science.
It’s all based on the simple principle that youth talking with
their peers in a safe and supportive environment can truly
be a transformative experience,
one ‘aha!’ moment at a time.
bookings
Amanda Walker is
Program Coordinator at
Youth Net Vancouver
artist: Annie Wilkinson
‘D
To book a YNV discussion
group or to find out more
about becoming involved
with YNV, call Amanda or
Sabrina at (604) 732-8353
or check out the website at
www.youthnetvancouver.org
footnotes
1
2
Research carried out by the Canadian
Psychiatric Association.
Facilitators are aware of their duty to
report any suspected/disclosed abuse,
self-injurious behaviour or intentions of
violence against others.
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
34
Visioning Recovery
in a Day Program
Schizophrenia Rehabilitation Day Program
W
Otto Lim, RSW
Otto is a clinical social
worker with the Early
Psychosis Intervention
Program/Schizophrenia
Rehabilitation day Program
at UBC Hospital, Vancouver
Coastal Health Authority
For any questions about the
Early Psychosis Intervention
program, please contact
Miriam Cohen RN, BSN,
Coordinator, Early Psychosis
Intervention Program,
Vancouver Coastal Health
Authority; Phone
(604) 822-9732; Email
mcohen@vanhosp.bc.ca
For information and/or
referral to the Schizophrenia
Rehabilitation Day Program
(SRDP), please contact
Otto Lim, RSW, Schizophrenia
Rehabilitation Day Program,
Vancouver Coastal Health
Authority; Phone (604)
822-7022; Email
olim@vanhosp.bc.ca
hen individuals encounter their first episode of psychosis or
face a diagnosis of schizophrenia, they often ask, “will I ever
get better?” They will have also experienced difficulties with
school or work, conflict and isolation from their family and
friends, disruption or loss of activities and interests, or loss of
housing. Despite these difficulties and losses, they can begin
navigating their way towards recovery by having their experiences acknowledged and their goals and needs recognized and
respected.
Since its inception in 1987, the Schizophrenia Rehabilitation
Day Program (SRDP) at UBC Hospital, has gradually evolved from
the original form of a weekly question-and-answer group, with a
physician and nurse, to the current model of a full-time five-day-aweek program, complete with a multidisciplinary team of occupational therapists, nurses, a psychiatrist, and a social worker.
The mission of SRDP is the rehabilitation of clients with
schizophrenia or psychosis. With psychosocial rehabilitation, the
goal is to promote recovery, to empower individuals with skills to
increase self-worth and a sense of control over their lives. In more
concrete terms, recovery ultimately means to move forward with
one’s life by maintaining health and avoiding hospitalization in
order to succeed with meaningful activity and relationships, to
reclaim the self from illness. This often means returning back to
school or work, volunteering or engaging in a social life. Numerous studies have shown that psychosocial rehabilitation, along
with medications, can lead to better outcomes such as improved
rate of recovery, decreased severity of symptoms, decreased relapse rates and fewer hospitalizations, reduced suffering of the
individual and family, and better quality of life.
Recovery from illness, as the saying goes, is a process rather
than an event. It requires motivation and patience to accomplish
short-term goals that will ultimately lead to larger successes. Psychosocial rehabilitation is more than a treatment model but also
a philosophy that is client-centred — that is, it focuses on the
individual and his or her strengths rather than deficits — and
helps the individual deal with specific environments or settings
that may be important to them like home, family, social networks and community. The approach also encompasses the key
element of maintaining hope.
Psychosocial rehabilitation within the SRDP focuses on groupbased skills training to enable the individual to self-manage their
illness. In particular, skills training focuses on three areas: social/
living skills, stress management and relapse prevention. Social
and living skills include problem solving, goal-setting, assertiveness and communication techniques to assist in overcoming social and daily barriers. Also falling within the sphere of social and
living skills is the need to develop routine and structure for the
person. Stress management involves the use of simple relaxation
techniques such as breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization to manage stress and anxiety. Relapse
prevention includes education about the illness such as medication and side-effect information, symptom recognition, warning signs and crisis planning. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is
used to help people understand and manage the links between
their symptoms and their thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Recently, SRDP has developed two new modules to address the
concerns and/or goals of clients: weight management and dating.
The practice of psychosocial skills training is achieved through
the use of modelling, role-playing, social reinforcement (e.g. peer,
therapist and video feedback), goal-setting, and problem-solving. Homework is assigned to incorporate the skills and strategies
learned from the groups. Vocational rehabilitation is also used to
identify individual goals and to assess aptitudes, interests and
barriers to employment or school. Drug and alcohol counselling
and interventions may also be offered. In addition, support and
education for family members and significant others are also
critical elements of recovery to strengthen the support network
for the individual.
Informal feedback given by clients who have engaged in
psychosocial rehabilitation in the SRDP have indicated that they
found medication, goal-setting, social and physical activities, stress
management, and peer support as useful elements in attaining
self-management of their illness.
Currently, the SRDP is conducting an ongoing outcome
study to review the effects of psychosocial rehabilitation offered
within the program. The preliminary results show that after one
year of graduating from the program, the majority of clients:
n are involved in productive activity (e.g. work, school, volunteering, vocational training)
n participate in social activity at least once per week and maintain regular social contacts
n report minimal or no symptoms
n experience no hospitalizations
n take medications and see their mental health follow-up
appointments regularly
n report moderate to very good satisfaction of life
In sum, psychosocial rehabilitation enables the individual to
become the expert in developing skills and making the decisions
that help them manage their illness, accomplish their goals and
move towards recovery.
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
35
Early Psychosis
Intervention
“It’s not what we as professionals bring into the room that’s important,
but what each individual takes back out with them, having shared and
gained from others in the room whose experiences may parallel their own,”
said Walter Lidster, an Early Psychosis Intervention Program Group Therapist
○
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Group Therapy
Lidster’s comment is directed to
a group program that is an essential component of the Early
Psychosis Intervention (EPI)
program in the Fraser South
area.
Early psychosis is the early
stage of any psychotic condition that affects the mind, such
as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. About three per cent of
all people will experience a psychotic episode in their life, and
often the first episode occurs in
young people between the ages
of 13 to 30 years old.
“Despite limited research
on early psychosis and recovery, there is emerging evidence
that the opportunity to meet
in a group setting with others
who have walked in the same
shoes supports early recovery
and aids in decreasing the impact of the stigma of mental illness,” Lidster says.
Recognizing the unique
course that each individual and
their family encounter when
experiencing the first episode
of psychosis, a range of group
programs have been developed
including client programs, a
family support group, psychoeducational sessions, and a sibling group. One client group
targets clients under the age of
19, some of whom are in the
recovery stage while others are
still acute. The sessions begin
with a meal prepared with the
youth, followed by discussion
on stress management, cognition, relapse prevention,
alcohol and drug use and communication.
“Many youth don’t have a
lot of insight into their illness
and we help them to reconnect,” Lidster says, “We teach
strategies for recovery, for managing psychosis and re-learning
skills like how to become social and make friends again.”
Having a range of youth,
both acute and in recovery, is a
very effective strategy. “We stress
that you will get better and seeing is believing,” he says, pointing to the tremendous impact
those in recovery have on the
others.
The other client group focuses on young adults from 19
to 30 years old, working with
the many developmental milestones and processes which occur during this life stage. In a
safe, non-judgemental environment utilizing a cognitive therapy approach, clients develop
a personal understanding of
psychosis and their own coping strategies.
At the same time as they
need to provide support, EPI
families emotionally impacted
by their own grief and loss issues may need a forum themselves. To answer this need a
monthly support group for
families is offered in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association and the
BC Schizophrenia Society.
“Engaging the family
as therapeutic partners has
emerged as an integral component to the success of the EPI
Program,” Lidster says. “Family
involvement appears to reduce
the vulnerability of the client
and aids in maximizing potential recovery while preventing
relapse.”
In addition, psychoeducational sessions are offered
four to five times a year to help
parents and caregivers learn
about psychosis and how
best to help their loved one
through recovery.
A sibling group has evolved
from the family sessions with
an apparent need for an opportunity away from parental ears
for brothers and sisters to express their fears, their anger at
the illness, and the many times
the guilt they feel for what they
may have done to cause their
sibling to suffer, Lidster says.
Group programs are at the earliest stage of development in
Fraser North. “We have integrated EPI with the family support groups that already exist
here, and will be tailoring client programs to meet the needs
of the clients in Fraser North.”
call Walter Lidster: (604) 5384284 Fraser South, (604) 4695153 Fraser North.
Marie Nightingale
Marie is Communications
Consultant with the Fraser
Health Authority
Reprinted from Infocus,
newsletter of the Fraser
Health Authority, December
2002, Volume 1, Number 4
WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAYTM 2003
OCTOBER 10, 2003
2003 Theme:
Emotional and Behavioural
Disorders of Children and Adolescents
www.wmhday.net
A Global Mental Health Education Program of
The World Federation For Mental Health
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
36
Survey of Chronic Disease
Management in BC
Focus on Self-Management of
Mental Illness within Primary Care
T
The core components of the model include:
he classic model of chronic disease management within primary care was fairly simple, and is the model of care with which n decision support – or clinical guidelines for health professionals reflecting the best available evidence regarding the manmost people are familiar. The job of the doctor was to diagnose
agement of each chronic condition
and treat, and the job of the patient was to follow orders; in
Mykle Ludvigsen theory anyway, the person would recover and be on his or her n clinical information systems – or databases that allow health
professionals and managers to track expected performance
way. For years, this was the model that was used in the treatment
and health outcomes
Mykle is Public of chronic illnesses, whether it be mental illness or diabetes or a
n delivery system design – the planning and implementation of
Education and heart condition.
a service delivery model that allows for a team approach to
Today, however, medical service providers are beginning to
Communications
providing the continuous and coordinated care that is so
Support at CMHA BC understand that while this model may still be relatively effective
necessary for managing ongoing health conditions
Division for treating acute illnesses, it is not terribly effective for chronic
illnesses. They are also coming to the realization that, given the n self-management support – providing resources and strategies, such as information and tools, that allow health profespivotal role of the family physician in managing mental illness, a
sionals to build their clients’ ability to manage their own health
new way of doing things is especially important in this area.
care both within and outside of the health delivery setting
In response, BC’s Ministry of Health Services is implementing an approach to chronic disease management (CDM), based
on a chronic care model developed in the United States by the Overall, the model reflects the reality that people with ongoing
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, known as the Expanded health conditions need a range of evidence-based resources (i.e.,
interventions that have been proven effective), and that the
Chronic Care Model (see figure 1 below).
health care delivery system needs to be organized in a way that
allows individuals to access these easily, initially and over time. It
figure 1 expanded chronic care model
also reflects the need to support individuals in their ability to
play a key role in managing their own health, for instance by
being an active partner in making treatment decisions, and by
building the skills that enable them to manage symptoms and
stay healthy in their day-to-day lives. The ideal scenario envisioned in the model is of an “informed, activated patient” working productively with a “prepared, proactive practice team” to
produce better health outcomes.
It is important to note that the Expanded Chronic Care
Model being used in BC differs form the original Chronic Care
Model, most significantly in that it includes prevention and
health promotion components. This reflects the view that the
essential first step in management of chronic disease is to prevent
it in the first place — or at least delay its onset.
While the Chronic Disease Prevention and Management
initiative is led by the Ministry of Health Services, implementation is taking place within the health regions. The description
below provides a snapshot of the activities taking place within
Prepared,
Informed,
each health authority, focusing on what each is doing with reProactive
Activated Patient
Practice Team
spect to the model generally, as well on what each is doing specifically with respect to supporting self-management in the area of
mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, within primary
care settings.
Before focusing on the health authority activities, however, a
brief description of other relevant provincial activities is neces-
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
sary context for understanding what’s happening throughout
the province. Other centrally coordinated activities that will support the move to chronic disease management of depression and
anxiety in the health authorities include development of physician guidelines for managing depression, development of a business case outlining the arguments for adopting a new model for
managing both depression and anxiety, snapshots describing
care throughout the province, and the development of a patient
registry to meet the information needs required by the CDM
approach. Other relevant self-management-specific resources —
such as the anxiety and depression self-management toolkits,
the mental health toolkit and addictions tool, all part of the BC
Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information project
— are also in the process of being released, and will be described
elsewhere in this edition of Visions, and in future issues.
Vancouver Coastal Health Authority
The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority has focused much
effort on integrating the chronic disease management approach
into their existing primary care delivery system, and has included this as a key factor in their re-organization. In a March report,
the health authority stated that it is indeed an important strategy in reducing pressure on the acute care system.1 Vancouver
Coastal plans on implementing a diabetes chronic disease selfmanagement plan before moving onto other areas including
congestive heart failure and depression.
“We do not want to take on too much,” says Alex Berland,
Primary Care Leader. “We want to take an incremental approach
— do a good job with this first wave of projects and then expand from there.” He adds that the authority will be posting a
manager position for the chronic disease management program
shortly. While he acknowledges that the health authority is behind where it would like to be and that there is a definite lack of
resources, Berland notes that there is considerable interest in the
program within the health authority.
“There is lots of activity going on around the edges,” he says
pointing out that if a group of people within the clinical care
community came forward to spearhead the program and stated
their desire to move ahead on it, it would help move things
along. While the initial roll-out of the program in the Vancouver
Coastal Health Authority does not envision depression or anxiety disorders among the initial illnesses to be managed by CDM,
it will be monitored as a secondary problem with the initial
diabetes and heart disease programs. According to Berland, a
focus on depression and anxiety would be the next logical step.
Vancouver Island Health Authority
The Vancouver Island Health Authority is planning on having
chronic disease self-management at the foundation of their delivery system beginning with a group of family physicians working together on diabetes, congestive heart failure, and major
depressive disorder, sharing responsibility for chronic care with a
larger interdisciplinary team including nurses, specialists and
community-based services and resources.
“We’re absolutely convinced that chronic disease management will work well,” says Sylvia Robinson, Manager of Chronic
Disease Initiatives. Currently in the initial phases of implementation, the health authority has recently signed on 30 family
37
physicians to take part in the program, as well as a few dedicated
CDM nurses, and prominent psychiatrist Dr. Rivien Weiner-
man. “We have been thrilled with the response [from doctors],”
she says. “More people applied than we were able to accept.”
The health authority is currently completing some baseline
documentation of patients within the program and will begin
the full roll-out starting September 2003. According to Robinson, the aim is to learn as they go along with the new system, and
ascertain what works and what doesn’t. She points out that it is
critical in the current initial phase of the project to ensure that footnote
there is excellent information systems support within the organ- 1
(March, 2003). BC chronic
ization, for all health care professionals working on an individual
disease management
file. From there, these professionals can work as a team to proupdate. p. 12. Online at
www.healthservices.gov.bc.ca/
vide crucial support to the patient. For example, physicians may
cdm/research/
make follow-up calls to patients to see how they are doing and to
updatemar03.pdf
remind them of upcoming appointments.
Decision support will also be a key function of these teams,
ensuring that patients have access to information from both physicians and clinicians. For self-management in depression, there
will be key support available for the individual from the local
mental health team, community-based peer support and community agencies. Robinson stresses that it is important to start building relationships and linkages with these critical supports that
sometimes are not always included. She points out the need to
strategize around the different characteristics in each community
— for example language or culture — that impact on the successful management of depression or any other chronic disease. While
some of the issues are the same regardless of the disease, Robinson
says, some of them are very different, and there needs to be a
specific strategy to deal with these differences.
While the funding for this project (made possible by the
Health Transition Fund) runs out March 31, 2006, part of the
conditions of the initial grant will help to ensure that the program could continue after the 2006 cut-off. Robinson is confident that it will continue post-2006. “We want to see what
works in Victoria and how to spread that throughout the island,
and then throughout BC.”
Fraser Health Authority
The Fraser Health Authority is currently working with the University of Victoria’s Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
(described in two separate Visions articles on pages 9-10 and 3940) to develop a region-specific, self-management plan. The initial plans have focused on congestive heart failure and diabetes,
but the health authority is planning on developing chronic disease management strategies in other areas including depression.
The health authority is using these test areas of diabetes and congestive heart failure to develop best practices models for self-management in other chronic disease areas. A shared care model for
depression is being explored, with links to primary care.
“If there was a critical mass we would do it,” says Frank
Fung, Health Services Director for the Fraser Health Authority,
Fraser East. He points out that while Fraser Health certainly
pays attention to depression as a critical secondary issue, major
depressive disorder issues are currently being handled in a community context, within the mental health centres.
The CDM model that is being implemented in the Fraser
Health Authority is similar to the one being introduced in the
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
38
Vancouver Island Health Authority. Doctors and other team
members will work together closely to remind people of appointments, and provide some encouragement to ensure medications and other remedies are being taken, as well as ensuring a
significant level of public education in the community, working
closely with the provincial government and other agencies to
provide that goal.
Northern Health Authority
The Northern Health Authority has plans to implement the
University of Victoria’s Chronic Disease Self-Management Program in various communities. According to Elizabeth Tovey,
Regional Director of Mental Health and Addictions, the Northern Health Authority is initially working at building skills for the
chronic disease management staff to deal with depression issues
when they arise for people, with chronic disease management
programs as secondary issues. “Mental health and addictions
services are so needed in the North, and [individuals] requiring
medical treatment [for issues ranging] from diabetes through
[to] Hepatitis C, as example[s], [often have] risk factors closely
associated with mental health and addictions.”
The Northern Health Authority is putting together a com-
munity response unit which can address any questions from
primary care providers. Tovey adds, “We still see each service
providing a ‘specialty’ but [they] will also learn to better identify
co-occurring disorders.”
Interior Health Authority
While somewhat behind other health authorities in its plans for
initiating the CDM model, Interior Health has recently begun to
identify key strategies for implementing a CDM model within
the Interior Health Mental Health Plan. Over the six-month
period between October 31, 2003 and March 31, 2004, Interior Health will be reviewing where they can begin developing
CDM strategies, and how to work closely in partnership with the
Ministry of Health Services. Meetings were recently held with
senior managers from throughout the health authority and with
the Ministry of Health Services to get an understanding of the
program.
According to Kim Marshall, Mental Health Manager for
Interior Health, “What we would like to see is where the Ministry is going with this and how do we implement this, and how
do we partner with public health and other agencies.”
BC Clinical Guidelines for the
Diagnosis and Management
of Depression
Raymond W. Lam
MD, FRCPC
Raymond is Professor
and Head, Division of
Clinical Neuroscience,
Department of Psychiatry,
University of BC, and head
of the Mood Disorders
Centre at UBC Hospital. Dr.
Lam is chairing the Work
Group on Depression
Guidelines for BC
For more information on
the guidelines, visit the
BC Ministry of Health
Services website at
www.healthservices.gov.
bc.ca/msp/protoguides/
gps/index.html
A
s a key part of the overall
Depression Strategy for BC,
clinical guidelines are being developed to help physicians
manage the treatment of people with depression.
What are clinical guidelines?
They are “systematically-developed statements about specific
clinical problems, intended to
assist practitioners and patients
in making decisions about appropriate health care.”1 Clinical guidelines are a series of
evidence-based recommendations for good clinical care.
They can help physicians to
standardize their care, provide
accessible knowledge about
available treatment options,
facilitate learning of basic principles, encourage disease detec-
tion, and promote quality improvement and clinical practice
research.
Clinical guidelines are not
recipes to be used for every patient, nor are they endless lists
of every possible treatment, or
textbooks. They are not meant
to restrict choice of treatment,
and they should not be regarded as standards of care because
specific clinical situations may
override the guidelines. Instead,
they should be considered a
framework to enable the physician to provide the best quality of care for individuals with
depression.
Clinical guidelines are necessary for depression because
the detection rate by physicians
is still low, outcomes for patients
are not optimal, there has been
an explosion of new knowledge
about treatments (both medication and psychotherapy), and
there is still considerable variability in the treatments offered.
How are clinical guidelines
developed? Clinical guidelines follow the principles of
evidence-based medicine. Evidence-based means that treatments are selected based on the
scientific weight of evidence to
support their use. Proven effective treatments are recommended first, before unproven
treatments. The clinical research
evidence is rated both on quality and quantity. The ‘gold
standard’ of evidence in medicine is the double-blind randomized controlled trial, where
Self-Management
patients are randomly assigned
to an active treatment or to a
placebo or inactive treatment.
Double-blind means that neither the patient nor the physician knows which treatment is
used until after the study is
completed, in order to avoid
bias in assessing the results.
Placebo treatment is necessary
because there is a spontaneous
improvement rate in conditions
like depression — for example
40% to 60% of people who
take a placebo pill (i.e., like a
sugar pill) in a clinical trial feel
substantially better in six to
eight weeks. That doesn’t mean
the depression is all in their
heads; rather, the simple act of
participating in a research study
— being diagnosed, receiving
No. 18/Summer 2003
treatment, talking to the doctor, finding out about the illness,
going regularly to the clinic —
can help people with depression
feel better.
Randomized controlled
studies don’t tell the whole story, however. Often, the studies
do not include the ‘typical’ patient being treated with depression, so the results may not be
applicable to everyone. That’s
why clinical guidelines also use
expert opinions to evaluate the
evidence and to come up with
clinical recommendations that
make sense to physicians.
The development of BC
depression guidelines is under
the direction of the Guidelines
and Protocols Committee, a
joint effort between the BC
Medical Association and the
Ministry of Health/Medical
Services Commission. A work
group was appointed, which
includes psychiatrists, family
physicians, a psychologist, and
representatives from consumer
associations and the Ministry of
Health. The work group started
with a detailed map — the clinical guidelines developed by the
Canadian Psychiatric Association and the Canadian Network
for Mood and Anxiety Treatments in 20012 — and adapted them for use by family
physicians. A preliminary summary was published as a theme
issue on Depression in Primary
Care [Family Practice]3 in the
BC Medical Journal last year. The
draft guidelines are now being
sent out widely for external review, with an anticipated release
in the autumn of 2003.
However, mailing out written guidelines to busy physicians is not likely to change the
way they practice. That’s why
we need to pay attention on
how to get physicians to start
using the recommendations.
Education is one way to promote the use of guidelines, but,
sadly, education alone has not
been shown to influence phy-
sician behaviour. Other methods, which include additional
support for physicians such as
practice aids, electronic reminders, educational materials, small
group tutorials, practice management sessions, and resource
directories may have better results.
Another means for promoting clinical guidelines is to
make sure that patients are also
educated about them. In the
BC depression guidelines, selfmanagement is emphasized,
including ways that the physician can promote and encourage self-management. An
important aspect of self-management is learning about the
options available for treatment.
To support this, we plan to develop a “Patient Guide to the
Guidelines.” This guide will
help patients and families understand what to expect in
their treatment, what kinds of
information they should expect from their physician or
caregiver, and what questions
they should be asking about
their clinical care. Having patients as active partners in
treatment will provide another
incentive for physicians to learn
and apply the guidelines.
In summary, clinical guidelines are one tool to help busy
physicians organize their management of common clinical
problems like depression. We
hope that these depression
guidelines, as part of an overall
Depression Strategy, will help
improve recognition and treatment, relieve the burden of suffering experienced by people
with depression, and reduce the
economic burden that accompanies depression.
39
Chronic Disease
Self-Management
Program Effective Over the Long Haul
P
eople with chronic diseases need all the support they can Kathy Smith
get, and now there’s a provincial program that’s just for
them. The Chronic Disease Self-Management program Kathy, consumer and
teaches people practical self-mastery skills that enable them to proprietor of Smith
effectively manage their health conditions for a lifetime. First Secretarial and Design in
piloted by Stanford University in California, the Chronic Dis- Victoria, is a freelance writer
ease Self-Management program (CDSM) is now taught in sever- who specializes in writing
about mental health issues
al countries around the world.
Patrick McGowan, MSW, PhD, and BC’s CDSM program
coordinator, first travelled to Stanford in 1986 for a closer look
and promptly brought the program home. Delivering it first The CDSM headquarters is
through the BC Arthritis Society, McGowan has since helped the Ladner office, satellite
train people to deliver the program in various health organiza- office for the UVIC Centre on
tions all over Canada. In BC, more than 20 cities, including Aging. For more information,
contact Dr. McGowan at
aboriginal communities have benefited.
“One of the most important aspects of the course is how Phone (604) 940-3574;
people interact with and learn from each other,” says McGow- Email mcgowan@
an. “The way the course is taught is important. It brings about dccnet.com
high levels of self-efficacy: a person’s perception of how they can
handle a task in the future.”
The free CDSM program is held for one-hour each week
over a six-week period, generally lead by two trainers with chronic
diseases. Participants learn to create action plans (setting reasonable goals for managing illness), then to report what transpired
figure 1
at the following meeting. If they had difficulties carrying out
the symptom cycle
their goals, the group will try
to help problem-solve. Particidisease
pants also learn about the
symptom cycle, the roundabout circle of symptoms and
fatigue
tense muscles
associated emotions that can
prevent people from moving
VICIOUS
forward (see figure 1, right).
CYCLE
Caregivers of those with chronic
diseases are also encouraged to
stress/anxiety
depression
take the program — and they
participate like everyone else.
Anne Riddick knows too
anger/frustration/fear
well the challenge of dealing
with chronic disease. Currently
2
footnotes
1
2
3
Davis, D.A & Taylor-Vaisey, A. (1997). “Translating guidelines into practice: A systematic review of theoretic concepts, practical experience
and research evidence in the adoption of clinical practice guidelines.” Canadian Medical Association Journal, 157, 408-16.
Canadian Psychiatric Association & Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments. (2001). “Clinical guidelines for the treatment of
depressive disorders.” Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 46(Suppl 1), S1-S92. Available online at www.canmat.org
To, A., Oetter, H. & Lam, R.W. (2002).“Treatment of depression in primary care: Parts 1 and 2.” BC Medical Journal, 44, 471-482. Available
online at www.bcma.org/public/bc_medical_ journal/BCMJ/november_2002/default.asp
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
40
living in Vancouver, she suffered from an early age with arthritis
and over the years has also had to deal with osteoporosis, Crohn’s
disease, fibromyalgia and more. But it wasn’t until she was 45 that
she first found the program, and has championed its cause ever
since.
“When you’re first diagnosed with a chronic disease, you go
through some grieving for your health. It’s like losing your best
friend,” she says. “Then each time you’re diagnosed with another chronic condition, you go through the process again. The
program can help you recognize what’s happening and help
you get through these stages faster.”
Riddick says learning to manage depression and fatigue is
very important. “We talk about dealing with depression, often a
side-effect of chronic disease,” she says. “For me, if my symptoms are pain in my body, I can deal with that quite well, but
when it reaches above a certain level and I can’t do things, I get
depressed. Having learned about the symptom cycle, I now
understand feeling depressed is usually transitory,” she says. And
she’s quick to point out: “Sometimes you just have to let yourself
feel depressed, but if it lasts for more than 2 weeks, you should
seek professional help.”
Riddick, also a program leader, knows that to live successfully with chronic disease, you have to get proactive and learn all
you can about your condition. “You need to find tools — and
education is the key,” she says. “Everyone can make their lives
better; they just need to know how.”
Another program participant, Joan Jacobson from Vernon,
is living a much brighter life now. A long-time sufferer of depression, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever find everything she needed to
cope. Vigilant about managing her condition, Jacobson had always adhered to proper diet and exercise, but eight years ago,
she found that wasn’t enough anymore.
“I thought I wasn’t trying hard enough,” she says. “I thought
there was a key somewhere and that I just needed to work harder.” Then after the birth of her second child, she was prescribed
an antidepressant, but was not told of the side-effects. She struggled for the next few years to find the right medication and get
on the road to recovery.
While looking to start a support group, she found the CDSM
program. “It was nice to meet others who were functioning despite their conditions. They were very inspirational.” Now a
program leader, Jacobson says, “I found a lot of things that helped
me could also help anyone with a chronic disease.”
It’s clear this program is indeed proving successful for people
with chronic health conditions. In April of 2003, it was announced the government would make the program available to
every health region in BC over the next three years. A 1-800
information line is slated to begin operation this fall.
Turning Over a New LEAF
A Self-Management Program for
Adults with Panic Disorder
Sarah Newth, PhD
Sarah is the Provincial
Liaison for the Anxiety
Disorders Association of
BC (ADABC). She is a
cognitive-behavioural
therapist, provides
consultation to other
mental health
professionals and has
published articles in the
area of anxiety,
stress and coping
I
n 2002, the Anxiety Disorders Association of BC
( ADABC ) launched the
LEAF program (Living Effectively with Fear and Anxiety). The
LEAF program is the first selfmanagement program of its
kind to be offered in British
Columbia, and is aimed at
individuals suffering from mild
to moderate levels of panic disorder. During the 14-week program, participants receive training in skills that allow them to
effectively manage the symptoms of their anxiety disorder,
regardless of whether or not
they are currently taking medications.
The LEAF program is an
evidence-based self-management program. People suffering
from mental health problems
have a right to access evidencebased programs, in other words,
interventions where evidence
from well-conducted research
shows that people are helped to
lower their level of symptoms
and to live more fulfilling and
healthy lives. Unfortunately,
despite the evidence that they
work, such programs are not
widely available in BC for people suffering from anxiety disorders.
LEAF is currently available
in four pilot communities:
Delta, Surrey, Kamloops and
Kelowna. While this is a beginning, there is significant unmet
need, considering that over
400,000 people in the province
suffer from an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders are the most
common mental health prob-
lem, with approximately with
one in four adults experiencing
significant problems with anxiety at some point in their lifetime.
LEAF is based on a cognitive-behavioural program for
panic disorder that has been
shown to work for approximately eight out of every ten people
who complete the program.
Many people who complete a
self-management program such
as LEAF are able to use their new
self-management strategies to
prevent or minimize panic attacks — some even end up completely panic free! Anyone who
has been living with unmanaged panic disorder can tell you
that this is an incredible outcome
that inspires hope for the future
and a renewed joy for living.
Self-Management
In the LEAF program, each
participant attends a two-hour
session once a week for 14
weeks. The weekly sessions are
held in small groups of six to
ten people who all have mild to
moderate levels of panic disorder. A unique and powerful aspect of the program are the LEAF
leaders, who run each group in
pairs. LEAF leaders have personally overcome their own problems with panic and anxiety by
using the same cognitive-behavioural skills they teach the participants. Leaders also receive
training and weekly supervision
from ADABC experts. As a result, they have strong skills
combined with high levels of
empathy and understanding.
Participants report that
they trust their leaders and feel
No. 18/Summer 2003
41
Update: Summer 2003
The Mental Health and Addictions Information Plan for Mental Health Literacy is a
groundbreaking public information initiative driven by the seven provincial mental
health and addictions agencies listed to the left, working together in a collective known
as the BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information. The project is funded
by the Ministry of Health Services, under the direction of Dr. Gulzar Cheema, Minister
of State for Mental Health. Over the next three years, the project will create a permanent communications infrastructure, including a website and a series of practical
toolkits developed to help individuals living with (or at risk for) mental health or
substance use problems to manage their health conditions on a day-to-day basis.
Combined, the groups have more than 100 years of service to British Columbians and
regional branch networks or linkages throughout the province.
The BC Partners project will release four new tools this fall, designed to help people
with mental health issues, including concurrent mental health and substance use
problems. The resources include toolkits for depression, anxiety disorders, a generic
mental illness toolkit, as well as a tool for managing addictions. All of the tools will
build on The Primer, a resource that provides basic information fact sheets about a
range of topics having to do with mental health, mental disorders, substance use
problems and addictions. The Primer was released during Mental Health Week 2003
and is available on all the BC Partners member websites.
The Mental Illness Toolkit outlines core self-management issues that are generic to any
diagnosis or to concurrent diagnoses. The core issues that are addressed include:
learning the basics of the illness and treatment alternatives
how to play an active role in finding an approach that works
how to manage one’s health on a day-to-day basis (including managing stress, identifying illness triggers, and developing effective coping strategies to avoid relapse)
how to access needed community resources
In addition to dealing with core self-management issues, the depression and anxiety
disorders tools deal with diagnosis-specific issues having to do with managing each
illness. The Depression Toolkit focuses on dealing with negative thinking, increasing
activity and problem solving. The Anxiety Disorders Toolkit deals specifically with
managing bodily symptoms, healthy thinking patterns, building strengths and decreasing avoidance. Each of the toolkits also features a self-test and information about how
to access diagnosis-specific resources in the community.
Each of the tools is evidence-based, meaning that it is based on self-management
principles that have been shown to be effective through sound methodological studies
conducted over time.
For the year ahead, BC Partners activities will focus on disseminating the toolkits to
the mental health community, and on piloting and evaluating the materials to make
sure that the resources meet the needs of people with mental illness and/or addictions.
Over the next year, the Partners will also be developing some new resources, including
a toolkit for family members and other caregivers, a mental health promotion toolkit,
and a mental health toolkit for the workplace.
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
42
is the LEAF
program for me?
For a detailed description
of all anxiety disorders and a
self-test, please see
the ADABC website at
www.anxietybc.com.
Print out the self-test
and take it to your
physician or mental
health professional. If you
have mild to moderate
levels of panic disorder,
the LEAF program might
be suitable for you
about the LEAF program
contact ADABC:
Phone (604) 681-3400;
Web www.anxietybc.com;
Mail #119 - 4438
West 10th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6R 4R8
Funding for the LEAF
program is provided in
part by the Ministry of
Health Services via the
BC Partners for Mental
Health and Addictions
Information plan. The LEAF
program is led by Dr. Lynn
Miller, a past president of
ADABC and a counseling
psychologist who
specializes in anxiety
disorders in children
and youth
inspired by the powerful example of what life can be like when
panic disorder is better managed
and under control. Recent participants stated the leaders “did
a wonderful job of making us
all feel comfortable” and were
“wonderful, compassionate
instructors...who could relate to
us as they went through similar
experiences.”
Each LEAF group is held at
a convenient location in participants’ home communities (e.g.,
mental health centres, community centres, schools, etc). The
groups are deliberately held in
neutral safe locations that are
within commuting distance and
easily accessible via public transit. ADABC plans to expand the
LEAF program to additional
communities throughout British Columbia — especially the
more rural and remote areas of
BC where mental health services are particularly sparse.
All LEAF participants are
evaluated prior to beginning the
program and after completing
the program — an important
feature of evidence-based programs. Without these evaluations, we would not know for
sure if the program is actually
helping. Pilot data indicates that
most LEAF participants experience significant reductions in
their symptoms of panic, anxiety and depression. They also report significant drops in their
avoidance behaviours and an
increased ability to do things
they hadn’t been able to do before like going to public places,
driving, taking public transportation, doing things alone,
or trying new things. Some participants have even been able to
return to work during the program with the support of the
leaders and other LEAF participants. Many LEAF participants
also tell us their self-esteem and
confidence has significantly improved. Recent LEAF graduates
stated, “this program taught me
more than I ever dreamed,” “I
am conquering my fears,” and
“I can now do things I couldn’t
do before.”
It is the cognitive-behavioural skills taught and practiced
in the LEAF program that allow
participants to overcome panic
disorder and get their lives back.
Participants get the opportunity to review and practice these
skills in session with supportive
feedback from the LEAF leaders
and the rest of the group. Participants then have the opportunity to practice these skills
during the week. Leaders help
plan weekly homework assignments in a way that sets up participants for success. Developing
goals that are realistic and attainable increases motivation to do
even more. Leaders also give feedback about weekly progress and
help participants troubleshoot
any difficulties that may arise.
The cognitive-behavioural
skills taught in the LEAF program cover the following five
basic areas:
how to examine their thoughts
and beliefs in order to identify
any misconceptions that maintain the cycles of repeated panic
attacks. For example, LEAF participants learn that we cannot
die or go crazy from a panic attack. This is good news for all of
us given that one in three adults
will experience a panic attack in
any given year, especially during times of high stress.
Overcoming Avoidance
Fourth, participants learn to
gradually overcome the avoidance behaviours that can be a
significant part of living with an
anxiety disorder. For example,
someone who can’t ride the bus
might start by riding the bus to
the next stop with a loved one.
Over the course of the LEAF
program they might work up to
riding multiple stops with a
loved one and eventually to riding alone. This well-controlled
gradual exposure to feared experiences is very successful in
helping people get their lives
Education
back and do things they had
First, participants are provided been unable to do prior to the
with basic educational informa- LEAF program.
tion about the nature of panic
disorder, panic attacks and anx- Maintaining Gains and
iety symptoms. For example, Relapse Prevention
many LEAF participants are sur- Fifth, and finally, participants are
prised to learn that rapid heart taught how to maintain their
beats or difficulty breathing are gains and how to manage or
normal symptoms of anxiety prevent any relapse of their
that are not dangerous. They symptoms. This set of skills inalso learn that most adults expe- cludes setting up ongoing goals
rience symptoms of anxiety from for the participants to work on
time to time.
after the program has finished.
Participants also learn that it is
Managing Symptoms normal to experience episodes of
Second, participants are taught anxiety and an occasional panic
controlled breathing and mus- attack from time to time, especle relaxation in order to man- cially when coping with stress.
age the bodily sensations of As a result of the program, they
anxiety and panic (e.g., rapid now have the skills to cope with
heart beats, difficulty breathing, any future waxing or waning of
feeling dizzy, feelings of discon- symptoms.
nect from reality, muscle tension, etc).
Many LEAF participants tell us
that they were initially very nervHealthy Thinking
ous and uncomfortable about
Third, participants are taught attending a program offered in
Self-Management
a group setting. However most
LEAF participants feel immense
relief after meeting other people
who are also suffering from panic disorder. They realize they are
not alone and many look forward to seeing each other each
week. By the end of the program, most LEAF participants tell
us the support they receive from
others during the program is invaluable and helped them make
progress. One recent LEAF graduate told us “I had a real feeling
of belonging to a welcoming
group of individuals.” Another
LEAF graduate stated, “I met
some wonderful people...we
laughed and cheered with each
success, and there were many
successes ... I leave here with new
friends, new understanding and
a new future.” It’s no wonder
that people are excited about the
LEAF program.
In the future, ADABC
would like to adapt the LEAF
program for use with youth who
are experiencing similar problems with panic and anxiety.
Ideally, additional LEAF programs would also be made
available throughout the province for other types of anxiety
disorders. As mentioned, there
are very few evidence-based resources for anxiety disorders in
BC other than medications. This
is unfair and must change given
that anxiety disorders are the
most common type of mental
health problem. If you would
like to see evidence-based programs for anxiety disorders offered in your home community,
please express your concerns to
the local health authority. For
additional information about
how to increase resources for
anxiety disorders in BC, please
contact ADABC .
No. 18/Summer 2003
43
profile
LEAF Participant Story
F
rom all appearances, Nadia had a normal life. At 41, she was in a stable career
with a Vancouver advertising agency, happily married with 2 children, and
had a house outside of the city, complete with mortgage to pay and mouths
to feed.Like most who are eventually diagnosed with a mental disorder, she
did not fit the profile of someone whom society would normally perceive as being
in a risk group for a mental illness. While Nadia had a family history of some mental
illness — her mother lived with depression — prior to her first panic attack in the
summer of 2002, she didn’t notice any signs of her illness.
“There wasn’t necessarily one trigger,” she explains.“I had been feeling quite
anxious over the last couple years, and under a lot of stress and then one morning
I was in the office by myself and I got all worked up about all the stuff going on. I
thought I was going insane and thought I was completely breaking down.”
Over the next few months, Nadia continued to have panic attacks, each time
hiding them and not telling anyone in the fear that she was, indeed, going insane.
“I would be running late for work,” she explains,“and I would start to have what I
call my catastrophic thoughts and think ‘what if I lose my job?’, ‘how am I going to
pay my mortgage? My family is going to be out on the street.’” These types of
thoughts would continue, but Nadia continued to hide them from her friends and
family, afraid she was ‘losing it’ and was going to end up committed — a thought
which encouraged more catastrophic thoughts about losing her home and her job.
Eventually Nadia summoned the courage to see her family doctor.After a short
10-minute visit, he prescribed her clonazepam, a benzodiazepine commonly used
to treat anxiety disorders. Benzodiazapenes act as a sedative and muscle relaxant.
They work by slowing down the central nervous system, and can be addictive if used
over an extended period of time. They are, however, effective over the short term.
But Nadia felt uncomfortable taking a drug.“I felt I was just resorting to taking
it,” she says, adding that she thought it was just masking what was causing the panic
attacks in the first place. She does, however, acknowledge that the drug did indeed
help with her symptoms. It was at this point that she decided to tell her husband that
she was suffering from an anxiety disorder.
“It was a thorough conversation,” she said, recounting the discussion.“I was
very ashamed. I was embarrassed about feeling this way. I didn’t understand what
was going on and I wasn’t told by my own GP about the drug that I was taking. My
husband didn’t want to hear about [the illness], and he was very scared.”
Under treatment, but unhappy, she started seeing ads for the LEAF program,
both in her community paper and on her community television station. Nadia
wanted to be able to feel ‘cured’ but also wanted to be off the drugs that her doctor
had prescribed.Nadia was also, however, extremely anxious about calling about the
program. But eventually she worked up the courage to pick up the phone and
enrolled in the program.
“I was very anxious to go to my first meeting. My fear was that it would not
work.” Nadia went into the first meeting expecting something far different than
she ended up participating in. “It sounded like work. They had you doing these
exercises and I guess I was looking for answers as to what was wrong with me. I
thought they were going to have some magic bullet. After the first meeting, I knew
I was going to have to look inside myself.”
“They had seven or eight other people in the room along with two leaders
who had gone through this themselves. Right away, everyone understood what it
meant to have [this illness].There was this support and you were able to say ‘I feel
this way’ and they wouldn’t be judging me for it. I began to understand what was
causing the attacks. It was like a light bulb went off inside in my head as to why things
were happening the way that they were. I started to understand what was causing
the attacks, and you really start to understand the anatomy of it.”
Nadia learned some basic relaxation and coping mechanisms, and she personally found the breathing techniques among the most useful. Interestingly, in this
type of therapy, participants are slowly exposed to situations that might trigger an
attack and are forced to cope with it by controlling the response. In Nadia’s case, this
included the all-too-familiar commuting nightmare, which made her fear she’d be
late,triggering the catastrophic thoughts that had emotionally paralyzed her earlier.
But this time she got through it.“I was taught how to be in control of my thoughts
and my body — now I was late and there were no catastrophic thoughts!” she says.
A criticism often made of these types of programs is that they are not effective
when push comes to shove and the real stress is applied. Nadia says that is simply
untrue, at least in her case. Prior to starting in the LEAF program, Nadia was terrified
of medical procedures in general. “God, it’s going to happen to me,” she recalls
thinking to herself whenever someone had to go in and have a procedure, and then
the catastrophic thoughts would begin. Shortly after the end of the LEAF program
her stepfather was hospitalized and her father-in-law died. These were two large,
traumatic events for both her and her family and Nadia managed to cope through
unimaginable pressure.“I used my strategies to cope and used my calming thoughts
and it worked. I was able to get through it.”
After the program, Nadia was able to almost completely eliminate her use of
clonazepam.“Prior to the program, I was taking about a ½ pill every day. Since the
program I’ve only had to take the ½ a pill once on a very stressful day, and even then,
as I was swallowing it, I was thinking I could have probably done without it.”
Nadia says she’s learned to recognize the body reactions that tell her an attack
could be coming on. Knowing what to look for is crucial. In her case, she says she
often gets hot and sweats a lot, and that’s when she knows that she has to begin
using her strategies to calm down. These include using her breathing techniques
and her repetition of various phrases to help prevent the catastrophic thoughts
from coming on. Since leaving the program, Nadia has not had another panic attack
and says she feels essentially ‘cured,’ while understanding that this is something she
will have to live with for the rest of her life.
“Now that the support group is over, I have revealed what has happened to me
to others. I’m not ashamed about it. Now that I understand it, I can reveal it. I know
that I’m not going crazy, and that I’m not going to be committed.” She goes on to
say,“I feel in control of it, and I don’t want anyone to think that I’m not in control,
so I can tell them.
“I reveal it to people and they tell me that their sister had it, or their brother had
it or that sometimes they feel that way, too.”She says she has no hesitation in recommending this program to anyone having difficulty with an anxiety disorder.She says
that since the program she has been setting aside more time for herself and doing
things for herself that she was not doing before. She says she is having people over
for dinner and enjoying her life again. As she has become more educated about this
illness, so has her husband, so the support that she had in the support group now
exists at home.
But she demurs. “You know, I don’t really feel a huge need to talk about it,
because I just feel so much better. Calling that number was probably one of the
hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life,” she says in retrospect, “but it was
probably one of the best things I’ve ever done.”
Self-Management
Mykle Ludvigsen
No. 18/Summer 2003
44
At this point, future funding of central coordination of the BRIDGES program (including facilitator training) has not
been assured. However, the program may still continue to be available in your community. Contact the BC Schizophrenia Society toll-free at 1-888-888-0029 for more information.
Getting From Where We Are
to Where We Want To Be
Debbie Sesula
BA, RTC
B
RIDGES stands for Building Recovery of Individual wanted to go back to school and has since found the courage to
Dreams and Goals through Education and Support. The
mission of BRIDGES is to empower people with mental
Debbie Sesula is the illness to take an active and informed role in their treatment and
Program Coordinator of the to recover a new sense of purpose in life. BRIDGES is built on
BRIDGES Education and the philosophy of recovery, a philosophy that one can live an
Support Program with BC active and full life even while experiencing psychiatric symptoms.
BRIDGES consists of a 15-week educational course that is
Schizophrenia Society
taught by people with a mental illness and is attended by people
with a mental illness. The curriculum covers key topics such as
the basic facts about psychiatric diagnosis and medications, identification of needs, obtaining mental health resources and dimensions of recovery from mental illness. Each class is
two-and-a-half hours in length and consists of a classroom format including discussions, class activities and question and answer periods. Learning from each other empowers one with the
tools to build their own bridge to recovery.
I have struggled to build my own bridge to recovery for
seven years, and becoming involved with BRIDGES was the
footnote
beginning of my climb out of the grasp of mental illness to a
1
In 2001, a survey was
whole new world of recovery and self-management. Instead of
conducted of past BRIDGES
letting mental illness control me, I learned to control it. I learned
students. Out of 235
to accept my limitations and to cope when the going got rough,
BRIDGES graduates from
1996-2001 that were
and that despite my illness, that I have a lot to contribute and
contacted, seventy-two
the skills to match. And despite setbacks, I have what it takes to
individuals participated in
get back up again. I learned that with BRIDGES, I am not alone.
the survey; 72% of the
participants were female
I have seen first-hand the many changed lives because of
and 28% were male
BRIDGES. I listened to the excitement in the voice of one gentleman, who for the first time in his life, was able to find employment and keep a job. I heard from a young woman who had
been depressed and suicidal, and no longer wants to end her life.
I listened to the amazement in
one lady’s voice as she shared
profile: bill maycock
that she couldn’t even go out
Bill Maycock had some traumatic blows to his life which left him crippled in
for coffee for many years, but
a depressed psychotic state. He lived his life in a medication haze with no
has since dealt with her fears
purpose or direction. He heard about BRIDGES and decided to attend, not
and now goes out for coffee
once, not twice, but three times. He says,“The first time I slept through most
quite regularly. I heard from
of it, the second time I started to feel hopeful, and the third time I was
one young gentleman who
beginning to feel worthwhile again”.
wouldn’t go anywhere or do
Previous to BRIDGES, Bill had been seriously thinking of ending his life.
anything without his mother,
What a transformation — not only did Bill graduate from BRIDGES three
and who now does things for
times, but he went on to become a BRIDGES teacher. He surprised himself at
himself and believes in himself.
what he was capable of doing.He says,“The BRIDGES’claim is true that it helps
I listened to the inspiration in
one get from where they are to where they want to be.”
the voice of one lady who really
do so. I have seen people who could hardly say their own name
make it all the way through the course and go on to become a
BRIDGES teacher. This is what BRIDGES does for me — I am so
rewarded by observing the many changed lives. BRIDGES helps
individuals get from where they are to where they want to be.
Since the introduction of BRIDGES in BC, responses from
teachers, students, service providers and family members has
been very enthusiastic: teachers say the course is fun to teach,
students say they are learning things they wanted to know for a
long time, service providers and family members tell of the impact BRIDGES is having on their clients and family members.
BRIDGES is open, free of charge, to any person with a mental illness. A referral for BRIDGES is not required. To learn more
about BRIDGES and to find out if BRIDGES exists in your
community, please contact the BC Schizophrenia Society at
1-888-888-0029.
The Impact of the Program
Based on a 2001 survey,1 the impact of taking the BRIDGES
course for participants is as follows:
n has given me the tools for my recovery (99%)
n has helped me in my own personal recovery (90%)
n has given me information about resources I didn’t know
about before (78%)
n has decreased my need for hospitalization (76%)
n has decreased my need for other crisis services (74%)
n has increased my socialization (65%)
n has helped me to be as independent as I can be (64%)
n has led to new friendships with other students (63%)
n has decreased my use of mental health services (61%)
n has increased my support network (57%)
n has led to my involvement in advocacy (42%)
n has since led to my obtaining a volunteer position (36%)
n has since led to my obtaining employment (25%)
n has led to my becoming a BRIDGES teacher (10%)
The most important curriculum gains for participants included:
an understanding of mental illness (21%)
n knowledge and information (19%)
n insight (16%)
n knowing others like me (14%)
n increased self-esteem (6%)
n knowledge of resources (6%)
n
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
45
profile
My BRIDGES Diary
Class 1: Introduction – First class is over. It seems like a bit of a blur. So many
new faces, and a new experience. Everyone seemed perfectly normal: no obviously
disturbed behaviour or visible medication side-effects. The instructors are upbeat and
sympathetic but task-oriented so we got through the material within the allotted
time.We did some ‘let’s get acquainted’ stuff. It is nice to know we can pass if we are
uncomfortable.Talked, too, about the emotional stages of recovery and made a commitment to attend the course. So far, so good.
Class 2: Thought disorders: Schizophrenia – We started the class with
a one-word feelings check. What is it about one word that is so hard to understand?
Today’s class dealt with schizophrenia and some of the myths and realities.Interesting.
Rather glad I deal with mood and anxiety disorders; the medications for schizophrenia
(I gather) aren’t pleasant. The instructors told their stories today and it was interesting,
mainly because they both seem… normal!
Class 3: Mood disorders and suicide prevention – Today’s class was an
emotional one as it dealt with suicide and so many of us had attempted it or had
seriously considered killing ourselves. We worked on a suicide support system and I
realized that although I have many friends, I have virtually no one to whom I could
turn. I just do not discuss my condition. Have to be perfect, have to be normal. We also
discussed mood disorders. It strikes me how people get into trouble when they don’t
get enough sleep. I’ve always needed a lot of sleep and done better when I achieve that.
Could it have been that simple?
Class 4: Anxiety disorders, personality disorders – I told my story
today, as the topic was anxiety disorders, and hey, that’s me! I actually was pretty anxious doing it, but I felt very accepted and not judged at all. The class is starting to bond
somewhat, which is nice. People are being honest about what they have, do, have
done, and so on. Some people have really been through the wringer and it seems to
take a lot of time for people to get help and then get their lives in order.I feel that I am
learning both about my illness and about myself.
Class 5: Recovery from mental illness and chemical dependency –
This is my class.What a package! I feel very, very lucky that my addiction ended when
I got and used Prozac appropriately. How many drunks are really mentally ill? How
much of mental illness is the result of using? Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
There were four of us in the class who are dual disordered. Four out of 13: almost one
in three. Really, this type of class could be a course in itself.
Class 5: Building support, crisis planning – It strikes me that I do not
talk much about my illness, except in class. I feel very sad that I have no one, really, to
talk to, to understand. Perhaps it is more that I don’t reveal myself and that I’m afraid
of being judged. Lots of planning in this class, forms to fill out. I can see how this is
necessary but would anyone in crisis remember to carry it along? I guess that you have
to share your information about your crisis warning signs with family, doctor etc.
Class 7: Biology and the environment – This is a little drier than some
classes; I guess that is why we were colouring in areas of the brain. Wow! Interesting
though, the research, theories, statistics. Makes me feel less flawed, less responsible.
Class 8: Medications and how to talk to your doctor – I am amazed
at how many antidepressants I tried before Prozac. And none of them worked. I’m
thinking that I lean more to the anxiety disorder and the depression is secondary.The
antipsychotics don’t sound as uninvasive as do the antidepressants. They sound difficult, so many side-effects. I feel lucky to have Prozac, my little friend.
Class 9: Mental health services and psychotherapy – What’s available? What’s not available? What are the kinds of therapy and how do they work? Not
a fan of therapy, at least not for me.It never did a thing in terms of stopping the anxiety
or depression. Just Prozac did. However, chatted with the instructor about this and my
experience is far from universal so, I will be tolerant. And a lot of people with mental
illness have maladaptive behaviour that they need to change. I guess that I could stop
rescuing people! Am I just being a perfectionist...no, no, it’s not me, it’s a disease.
Class 10: Rehabilitation services – I did like the ‘hospital thinking’ vs.
‘recovery thinking’.TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF! Some of the financial details
were very interesting. So many people with mental illness are so poor. How, then, do
you get better with the constant financial stress, poor housing, food etc.?
Class 11: Tools for recovery: Wellness, problem-solving – This stuff
is important especially in the light of the poverty issue. Discussed diet, exercise, sleep,
stress reduction and problem-solving. Very practical, very logical. This is useful stuff. I
really enjoyed the problem-solving — breaking a problem down into parts and then
tackling it, leaving emotion and feelings to one side. I was already doing some of it.
Good for me!
Class 12: Tools for recovery: Communication skills – This was a rather
fun class. Role-playing and practicing assertiveness and reflective response. A lot of stuff
to use and it will take practice. Maybe I should make a cheat sheet and carry it with me!
Class 13: Healthy spirituality – A thinking/feeling/considering class. What
are virtues, what is religion and so on? Also, identifying unhealthy religious practice.
I got thinking a lot today and feel more connected to God. Amazing enough to me,
considering that my first obsession was religion. Hallelujah!
Class 14: Advocacy – How to change the system. Not on my agenda right
now. A trifle dull.
Class 15: Certification and celebration – Evaluation forms, certificates
and then a lunch with the class, paid for by BRIDGES!
Tracy May
Three months later…
When I look back at the BRIDGES education course, I am struck by the following things:
n that the course was completely free of charge
n the genuine feeling of “we’re all in this together, so, let’s learn and help together”
n that it was a safe place to be
n that the instructors were consumers, but make no mistake, they were in control
n that recovery happens.
profile: barbara moreau
When Barbara Moreau first entered the room, she appeared very sullen and withdrawn. After three classes she began to open up, sharing with us the ongoing
depression she continually struggles with. Finding others who could relate brought
a sparkle of hope to her eyes. She pushed herself 100% throughout the course and
did all the extra readings. She took pride in what she was learning and shared her
many‘aha!’moments.
Barbara no longer appears sullen and withdrawn, but animated and approachable. Her involvement with BRIDGES has decreased her need for crisis services and
has increased her self-esteem and confidence immensely. But Barbara didn’t stop
there: she went on to become a BRIDGES teacher, determined to be a “shining star”
to others. And a star she has become as her peers see where she was in her life and
where she is now. She feels good about giving back to her peers the message of
hope she was given.She says,“I want to help erase the stigma that exists with mental
illness and teaching BRIDGES is one way of achieving that.”
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
The
Bottom
Line
Untreated Depression and
46
Anxiety Disorders in the Workplace
Conference n October 30, 2003 n Hyatt Regency Vancouver
Reasons to Attend:
1
Because In today’s competitive
work environment, many employees are
reluctant to admit to having difficulty keeping good mental health in the workplace.
2
Sponsored By
3
Endorsed By
Because companies are losing their most
creative and productive employees to
depression and anxiety disorders.
Because mental illness is the fastest
growing cause of workplace disability.
4
Because a mentally healthy workplace
is the best insurance policy against
long-term disability.
Because the CMHA Bottom Line Conference is designed to help
small and large businesses, organizations, unions, and benefit
providers reduce the impact of depression and anxiety
disorders in the workplace.
5
6
Because the bottom line costs
are staggering.
The Canadian Mental Health Association’s BC Division is proud to host the
Bottom Line Conference. Working together closely with industry and labour,
together we can lessen the impact of depression and anxiety disorders on
workers and on the bottom line.
www.cmha-bc.org/bottomline
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
resources
Articles
n The clinical and cost-effectiveness of self-help treatments
for anxiety and depressive disorders in primary care: A
systematic review. Bower, P., Richards, D. & K. Lovell.
n
47
University, Australia. Self-management literature review
and project links. som.flinders.edu.au/FUSA/CCTU/
Australian Shared Care Initiative, includes self-management
guidelines for GPs, nurses and allied professionals.
www.racgp.org.au/folder.asp?id=299
Wellness & Recovery Action Plan model (WRAP), founded by
Mary E. Copeland. www.mentalhealthrecovery.com
The STEADY project, a self-management approach for young
people with bipolar illness. www.steady.org.uk
The Improving Chronic Illness Care initiative, of the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation. Basis of the BC-based chronic
disease management model. www.improvingchroniccare.org
Stanford Patient Education Research Center. Info on
CDSMP model. patienteducation.stanford.edu/programs/
Comorbidty of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Project of
the Primary Mental Health Care, Australian Resource Centre.
som.flinders.edu.au/FUSA/PARC/comorbidhome.html.
Changeways, out of Vancouver, BC. Develops evidencebased treatment protocols and training programs for professionals in the mental health field. www.changeways.com
Expert Consensus Guidelines, includes patient/family
versions of clinical guidelines. www.psychguides.com
Panic Centre, includes cognitive-behavioural strategies for
panic disorder. www.paniccenter.net. Also see
www.anxieties.com/index.php?nic=panic
(2001). British Journal of General Practice.
n
n Reclaiming your power during medication appointments
with your psychiatrist: A guide to becoming an active partner n
in decision-making about treatments. Deegan, P. (1999).
National Empowerment Center Newsletter. Available at
n
www.power2u.org/selfhep/reclaim.html
n Evidence-based practices for services to families of people
with psychiatric disorders. Dixon, L. et al. (2001).
n
Psychiatric Services, 52(7), 901-910. Also available at
www.mentalhealthpractices.org/pdf_files/dixon.pdf
n
n Implementing dual diagnosis services for clients with severe
mental illness. Drake, R. et al. (2001). Psychiatric Services, 52(4),
469-476. mentalhealthpractices.org/pdf_files/drake1.pdf
n
n How persons recovering and clinicians can promote selfmanaged care. Fisher, D. (1999). National Empowerment
Center Newsletter. www.power2u.org/recovery/
n
selfmanaged_care.html
n Psychotherapy for bulimia nervosa and binging. Hay, P. &
Bacaltchuk, J. (2002). Cochrane Database of Systematic Review. n
n How I perceive and manage my illness. Leete, E. (1989).
Schizophrenia Bulletin, 15(2), 197-200.
n Self-management education: Context, definition, outcomes
and mechanisms. Lorig, K. & Holman, H. (2000). First
Recovery/Self-Management Guides or Books
Chronic Disease Self-Management Conference, Australia.
n Self-care depression program: Patient guide. R. Paterson & D.
www.chronicdisease.health. gov.au/pdfs/lorig.pdf
Bilsker (MHECCU, 2002). Online at www.mheccu.ubc.ca
n Behaviour therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A
n
A guide to recovery. Organization for Bipolar Affective
decade of progress. Marks, J. (1997). Canadian Journal of
Disorders Society (OBAD, 2002). Online at www.obad.ca
Psychiatry, 52, 1021-1027.
n Illness management and recovery: A review of the research. n Getting out of it: How to cut down or quit cannabis. H.
Mentha (Inner East Community Health Service [Australia],
Mueser, K. et al. (2002). Psychiatric Services, 54(10), 12722001). Online at www.aa2.org/tools/mar/mari.htm
1284. www.mentalhealthpractices.org/pdf_files/mueser.pdf
n
Personal assistance in community existence: Recovery at your
This list is meant as a
n Self-administered treatment in stepped-care models of
own PACE. L. Ahern & D. Fisher (National Empowerment guide only and not meant
depression treatment. Scoggin, F. et al. (2003). Journal of
Center, 1999). Online at www.power2u.org/pace_manual.pdf to be exhaustive. While
Clinical Psychology, 59(3), 341-349.
we have attempted to
n
Storm breaking: An anthology of experiences through mental
n Implementing evidence-based practices in routine mental
include helpful
illness
and
into
recovery.
E.
Macnaughton
(Ed.)
(
CMHA
BC
health service settings. Torrey, W. et al. (2001). Psychiatric
references, inclusion in
Division,
2002)
Online
at
www.cmha-bc.org
Services, 52(2), 179-182. www.mentalhealthpractices.org/
this resource list does
pdf_files/torrey.pdf
n A map for the journey: Living meaningfully with recurring
not necessarily reflect
depression. N. Dickie (PublishAmerica, 2001)
n Stepped care treatment for eating disorders. Wilson, G.
complete content
Vitousek, K. & Loeb, K. (2000). Journal of Consulting &
n Riding the roller coaster: Living with mood disorders. M.
endorsement by
Clinical Psychology, 68(4), 564-572.
Bergen (Northstone, 1999)
CMHA BC Division
n Feeling good: The new mood therapy. D. Burns (Avon, 1999)
n Your depression map: Find the source of your depression and chart
Websites
your own recovery. R. Paterson (New Harbinger, 2002)
n Evidence-Based Practices project, based at Dartmouth
n Getting better bit(e) by bit(e): A survival kit for sufferers of
University. Project information on illness management,
bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorders. U. Schmidt & J.
family education and concurrent disorders approaches.
Treasure. (Psychology Press, 1997)
www.mentalhealthpractices.org/index.html
n More self-management books at www.wiltshire.nhs.uk/
n Human Behaviour and Health Research Unit, of Flinders
awp/swindonpsychology/Self-Help.htm
Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003
48
5000 services and growing...
BC’s Only
Online Searchable
Inventory of
Employment
Services
www.cmha-bc.org/inventory
Check out a free, comprehensive
employment services database for BC,
particularly those specializing in supports
for mental illness. This searchable database
includes detailed information about
accessing a wide variety of employmentrelated programs. Search by community,
health region, client base, service type or
combinations thereof. There are currently
530 agencies listed and over 90 categories
of services such as negotiating
accommodations, accessing subsidized
volunteer opportunities, as well as
subsidized educational opportunities.
Why am I receiving Visions?
As part of the new BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information (see page
41 of this issue of Visions for more information on this initiative), members of provincial
mental health and addictions agencies other than CMHA, whose members already receive
Visions, will now receive a complimentary copy of this quarterly, award-winning journal.
Neither your name nor your mailing information was shared as it was sent by the organization of which you are already a member. If you would NOT like to continue receiving
your free copy of Visions in the future, please let your member organization know.
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Self-Management
No. 18/Summer 2003

Self-Management - Visions Journal #18

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